MONDAY 23 NOVEMBER 2020 www.thepeninsula.qa8 RABIA II - 1442 VOLUME 25 NUMBER 8450

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Sport | 12

QC, MADLSA discuss demands,

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QSL: Al Sadd crush Al Arabi in thriller

Business | 01

2 RIYALS

QA helps bring tens of thousands of seafarers homeTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Qatar Airways is playing an important part in the repatriation of seafarers stranded due to the pandemic, working closely with governments and the maritime industry to operate hundreds of chartered and scheduled flights to help bring home over 150,000 workers.

Understanding the difficulties and challenges many of these vital workers have faced in returning home or com-pleting crew changes, Qatar Airways has recently established a dedicated Mariner Lounge at Hamad International Airport. Seafarers and offshore worker passengers can relax and enjoy refreshments in the exclusive Mariner Lounge while they wait for their onward flight.

In addition to an international selection of food and beverages, facilities include unlimited high-speed wi-fi, shower

facilities, a television area, reading mate-rials and a Business Centre.

The combination of an extensive global network with more than 100 destinations, a selection of fuel-efficient aircraft to operate charters and the Best Airport in the Middle East has enabled the airline to quickly and seamlessly support the mar-itime industry to repatriate their workers and facilitate crew changes.

The airline’s commitment to take people home has seen it operate charters for maritime workers to many destina-tions not previously served by Qatar Airways, including Abidjan, Ivory Coast; Bridgetown, Barbados; Lomé, Togo; Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago; and Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. In addition, Qatar Airways sustained operations throughout the pandemic to many important locations for seafarers, such as Amsterdam, Barcelona, Copenhagen,

Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Oslo, Sao Paulo, Seoul and Singapore. �P4

Farm in Qatar harvests saffron for first timeSANAULLAH ATAULLAH THE PENINSULA

A Qatari farm has started harvesting saffron for the first time in the country and is eyeing 25 percent local market share.

Saffron Qatar, located in North of the country, marked the opening of the harvest season in a ceremony held at the farm yesterday. Assistant Under-secretary for Agriculture and Fisheries Affairs at the Ministry of Municipality and Environment, Sheikh Dr. Faleh bin Nasser Al Thani attended the event.

“We are very happy to inaugurate the first farm in Qatar that produces saffron, as these plants are usually found in Iran, Morocco, Afghanistan, Spain and

other countries. Today we celebrate the inauguration of the farm,” the owner of the farm Jaber Al Mansouri said at the event.

He said that the farm uses latest technologies for cultivating saffron like hydroponic without soil. “The plant was also cultivated in soil using five layer vertical farming and in cooled container in an area of 150 square meters,” said Al Mansouri.

“We want to expand the project to increase the produce to supply to the local market as a Qatari product,” said Al Mansouri adding that this is a remarkable achievement in terms of providing saffron to local market. “The project succeeded in cultivating saffron as we are working to cultivate in large

quantity as much as possible,” he added. He said that the project is

expected to meet 25 percent needs of saffron in Qatari market and with State support the farm will be able to cover the requirement of Qatari market within five to six years.

The event was also attended by Director of Agricultural Affairs Department at MME, Yousuf Khalid Al Khulaifi; Director of Public Parks Department Mohamad Al Khuri and Director of Fish Affairs Department Abdul Aziz Al Dehaimi.

CEO of Hassad Food Company, Mohamed Badr Al Sada, and the head of Qatar Chamber's Food Security and Environment Committee Mohamed Ahmad Al Obaidli attended the event.

The owner of the farm, Jaber Al Mansouri, gives a briefing about saffron cultivation during the event yesterday.

Katara launches postage stamps designed by kidsRAYNALD C RIVERA THE PENINSULA

Four postage stamps designed by children were launched yesterday at the Cultural Village Foundation (Katara) in cele-bration of World Children’s Day.

The stamps contain the winning drawings of children chosen from among 572 entries submitted by 390 participants who took part in an art com-petition that Katara launched in cooperation with Qatar Post in line with Katara Children’s Festival on the occasion of the World Children’s Day last year.

The competition, which was opened to children aged seven to 14, witnessed participation from 46 nationalities including those from India, Egypt, Qatar, Syria, Pakistan, the US, Canada, Japan, Italy, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Indonesia, Kazakhstan and Sudan, among others. Among the hundreds of entries, six winners were selected to receive QR2,500 each and four were selected to be printed on the postage stamps.

The drawings were created by nine-year-old Najla Al Dirham from Qatar,

11-year-old IIhem Boughanmi from France, 13-year-old Abdullah Yusuf Al Mulla from Qatar, and 14-year-old Simra Shamshad from India.

A total of 10,000 sets of the stamps and 4,000 commemo-rative cards were printed which are now available at all branches of Qatar Post.

Unveiling the stamps, Katara General Manager Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti congratulated the winners for their creative work and thanked all the children who joined in the competition.

Dr. Al Sulaiti stressed that this competition reflected has both cultural and intellectual compo-nents which characterise activities of Katara whose programmes and festivals have always dedicated educational and entertainment activities for children aimed at educating them, developing their skills and refining their talents.

He added that the initiative would not be the last and that Katara would continue its various initiatives that encourage children to develop and showcase their creative talents and abilities that deserve care and attention. �P4

Al Rayyan Stadium to open on Qatar National DayTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Al Rayyan Stadium, one of eight FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 stadiums, will be inaugurated on Qatar National Day, which falls on December 18, staging the 2020 Amir Cup final.

The Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC) announced the opening yes-terday in a report about the milestones reached at Qatar 2022 stadium sites.

It said that three stadiums – Khalifa International, Al Janoub, and Education City – have all been inaugurated and fully operational, with the remaining five at various con-struction stages. All eight sta-diums will be completed well in advance of the tournament, which will kick off on November 21, 2022, it added.

The Al Rayyan Stadium will host seven matches up to the round of 16 stages during Qatar 2022. The outer façade is made up of intricate patterns repre-senting Qatar, from its history of trade to its varied wildlife. Al Rayyan’s desert landscapes will be reflected on the facade – with the dune-shaped hospitality areas and merchandise stalls dotted around the stadium complex.

Al Bayt Stadium, which will host the opening match of the

FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, is complete and ready to host games, according to the SC report. The 60,000 capacity Bedouin-tent-themed structure is the second Qatar 2022 Stadium to achieve a five-star rating from the Global Sustainability System (GSAS). The stadium will host matches through to the semi-finals of Qatar 2022. The

surrounding Al Bayt Park is now open to the public.

Inaugurated in May last year for the Amir Cup final, the Al Janoub Stadium at Al Wakrah will host seven matches up to the round of 16 stages of the 2022 World Cup. The 40,000 capacity stadium is fitted with a cooling system, retractable roof, and its dhow design pays

tribute to Al Wakrah’s seafaring past. The stadium has hosted AFC Champions League matches and will host the 2020 ACL final on December 19.

Al Thumama Stadium, inspired by the ‘gahfiya’, a tra-ditional woven cap worn by men across the Arab world, is the first FIFA World Cup venue designed by a Qatari architect

- Ibrahim M Jaidah. The 40,000 capacity stadium will host matches through the quarter-finals stages and is just 13km from the city centre.

The stadium’s roof and façade works have been com-pleted, while the seat instal-lation and mechanical, elec-trical, and plumbing works, plus finishing, are ongoing.

The 40,000-capacity Edu-cation City Stadium was the first Qatar 2022 venue to receive a five-star GSAS sustainability rating ahead of its inauguration. Located in the heart of Qatar Foundation, the stadium will host matches up to the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup and will be the eventual home of the Qatar women’s national team. �P4

An aerial view of the Al Rayyan Stadium.

The outer façade of Al Rayyan Stadium is made up of intricate patterns representing Qatar, from its history of trade to its varied wildlife.

Dune-shaped hospitality areas and merchandise stalls are dotted around the Stadium complex.

Three other stadiums – Khalifa International, Al Janoub, and Education City – have all been inaugurated and fully operational.

The Al Rayyan Stadium will host seven matches up to the round of 16 stages during Qatar 2022.7

150,000Hundreds of chartered and scheduled flights operated by Qatar’s flag carrier helped bring home over 150,000 stranded seafarers.

Firms must coordinate with MoTC to install EV charging unitsTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

The Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC) has stressed that any company wanting to install electric charging units for electric vehicles (EV) must coordinate directly with the Technical Affairs Department at the Ministry before going ahead

with installing the said units. This comes in implementation

of the Electric Vehicle Strategy developed by the MoTC with the bodies concerned and which includes the standardized speci-fications and criteria for EVs and charging units already certified by relevant government entities. The companies can simply call 40451275 or email echargerstask-

force@motc.gov.qa. The step is meant to ensure

all charging units match the approved standards and spec-ifications as well as the coun-try’s plans drawn in this regard by the taskforce in charge of implementing the strategy of installing electric changing units, chaired by MoTC with the membership of the Qatar

General Electricity & Water Corporation (Kahramaa).

The taskforce will be working on issuing a guidebook on the infrastructure relating to EV charging units in Qatar.

The MoTC coordinates with several government entities to install and operate EV charging units this year and the coming one. �P4

OFFICIAL NEWS

02 MONDAY 23 NOVEMBER 2020HOME

Amir congratulates President of Lebanon

DOHA: Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin

Hamad Al Thani and Deputy Amir

H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad

Al Thani sent yesterday cables of

congratulations to President of

the Lebanese Republic H E Gen-

eral Michel Aoun on the occasion

of his country’s Independence Day.

Prime Minister and Minister of Inte-

rior H E Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa

bin Abdulaziz Al Thani also sent a

cable of congratulations to Prime

Minister-designate of the Lebanese

Republic H E Saad Al Hariri on the

occasion of his country’s Independ-

ence Day. -QNA

Somalia welcomes

Shura Council polls

announcement

QNA — MOGADISHU

The Somali Government welcomed the announcement by Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to hold the Shura Council elections in October 2021.

The Somali Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Interna-tional Cooperation said that this step is important to strengthen the traditions of Shura in the State of Qatar. Somalia-Qatar Parliamentary Friendship Committee also welcomed the announcement, describing it as important and based on firm traditions of fair and good governance.

Philippines welcomes

Shura Council polls

announcement

QNA — MANILA

The Philippine Government welcomed the announcement by Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to hold the Shura Council elections in October 2021.

In a statement, the Phil-ippine Department of Foreign Affairs said that this major step is part of H H the Amir’s con-tinued efforts to achieve the goals of Qatar National Vision 2030. The statement expressed the Philippines’ aspiration to work with Qatar in promoting shared values and interests.

167 new virus

cases, 182

recoveries: MoPH

THE PENINSULA — DOHA

The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) yesterday announced the registration of 167 new confirmed COVID-19 cases. According to the Ministry, among them 36 were travellers returning from abroad.

Also 182 people have recovered from the virus, bringing the total number of recovered cases in Qatar to 134,282. The Ministry also announced one death of a person aged 65 years old, who was receiving the necessary medical care due to COVID-19.

All the new cases have been introduced to isolation and are receiving necessary healthcare according to their health status.

The Ministry further said that measures to tackle COVID-19 in Qatar have suc-ceeded in limiting the spread of the virus.

Qatar participates in 30th meeting of GCC Agricultural Cooperation Committee

QNA — DOHA

The State of Qatar participated yesterday in the 30th minis-terial meeting of the GCC Agri-c u l t u r a l C o o p e r a t i o n Committee that was held via video conference technology.

Qatar was represented during the meeting by Minister of Municipality and Envi-ronment H E Eng. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie.

A number of key topics on the agenda related to joint GCC action in the agriculture,

livestock and fisheries were discussed, including the follow-up of the decisions issued at the 29th meeting of the committee, the discussion of the law (system) of organic inputs and products and its executive reg-ulations, and the GCC unified law (system) for agricultural quarantine, the unified col-lective purchase of veterinary medicines and vaccines, and the law (system) of precau-tionary measures for protection from infectious and epidemic animal diseases and its imple-

menting regulations.In the field of fisheries, the

Ministers discussed the program to inspect the landing of kingfish, the guideline for fish farming, the unified law (system) for the protection, development and exploitation of the living aquatic wealth of the GCC States and its executive regulation, the non-tariff restrictions, the General Secre-tariat paper on promoting joint Gulf action (post-Coronavirus pandemic), and the Secretariat paper on food security.

Minister of Municipality and Environment H E Eng Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie takes part in the 30th ministerial meeting of the GCC Agricultural Cooperation Committee.

QFFD signs MoU to repair schools damaged in Beirut explosionTHE PENINSULA —DOHA

In order to provide the necessary support for the project aiming at rebuilding the damaged schools following Beirut explosion and ensuring the educational process conti-nuity, Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) has signed a Memorandum of Under-standing (MoU) with the Lebanese Ministry of Education in cooperation with Education Above All Foundation (EAA) and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco).

Sponsored by QFFD, EAA and Unesco have joined hands for the sake of repairing 55 schools, 20 technical and vocational education and training (TVET) centers and three universities in Beirut. This is within the framework of ensuring the continuity of learning, and enabling children and youth’s access to their right to Education and its practice.

“This Memorandum is signed as a part of the undertaking of Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, to contribute to the reconstruction process of Beirut. That undertaking was given during the Paris Conference of Donors, held under the aus-pices of UN with the participation of dif-ferent world leaders and presidents. This Conference was held in an effort to raising funds in favor of the Lebanese people fol-lowing the Beirut Port explosion,” Director General of QFFD Khalifa bin Jassim Al Kuwari asserted.

“Since the beginning of the crisis, the State of Qatar has taken actions through building field hospitals and sending air bridges on an urgent basis to secure the necessary assistance for Lebanese brothers & sisters. This MOU constitutes a comple-mentary element of Qatar’s humanitarian duty. It is also the product of brotherhood bonds, in terms of solidarity and fulfillment of its duty and commitment represented in

providing this country with the necessary support in various stances,” Al Kuwari added.

CEO of Education Above All, Fahad Al Sulaiti said: “This partnership will help provide children and young people in Lebanon with access to safe, quality edu-cation to ensure that they have the oppor-tunity to succeed in life. The partnership between Education Above All Foundation and Unesco will help the people of Lebanon to overcome this challenging period and ensure that the heavily damaged education sector is rebuilt and rehabilitated following the recent unfortunate event.”

“We express our sincere gratitude for QFFD’s support provided to rehabilitate educational buildings in Beirut. It consti-tutes an essential component of the recon-struction process in Beirut following the

destructive explosion at the Port,” said Min-ister of Education and Higher Education H E Tariq Muhammad Al Majzoub.

It is recalled that the Beirut Port explosion occurred on August 4. It took place in concurrence with a multi-faceted economic downturn. During the explosion at Beirut Port, more than 207 private and public schools were damaged, affecting more than 85,000 students, as well as 7,600 male and female teachers.

In addition, 20 schools for TVET were damaged, affecting at least 7,300 trainees. From this standpoint, the State of Qatar responded to fill the deficit in the heavily damaged educational sector in Lebanon. Because education must continue, this stems from the humanitarian duty of the State of Qatar and its commitment to support the people of Lebanon.

Qatar Fund for Development and Lebanese Ministry of Education officials during signing of a memorandum of understanding.

Qatar Museums launches new Culture Pass programmeTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

In its continued efforts to raise awareness of initiatives that are driving Qatar’s sustainable future, Qatar Museums (QM) has launched Menthaar, a year-long programme to introduce Culture Pass Plus and Culture Pass Family members to projects in Qatar that are working towards building a better tomorrow.

Through a series of tours, workshops, webinars, and talks, Menthaar, meaning to take a closer look in Arabic, affords the opportunity to learn about Qatar’s heritage, culture, environment, and its vision for the future.

Aisha Al Khater, Deputy CEO of Museum Affairs at Qatar Museums, said: “Menthaar is a wonderful way for Qatar Museums to engage its valued Culture Pass Plus and Culture Pass Family members in projects that are making a dif-ference and contributing to the sustainable development of Qatar. It is our pleasure to present several tours and talks to raise awareness of Qatar’s vision for the future as seen through many initiatives.”

Upcoming Menthaar events include sustainability webinar led by Qatar Green Building Council on December 6 from3pm to 4pm. The online session will tackle how a greener home can establish a healthier environment that promotes occupants’ wellbeing and is the place where we will

be sharing a series of quick tips for a healthier home.

On December 10 and 24, Culture Pass Plus and Culture Pass Family are invited to attend a tour of Al Shaqab, to learn more about Qatar’s natural heritage. The event will also include a tour of the Equine Exercise Centre, Equine Spa, and the Emiri Stables (Royal Stables).

Meanwhile, Culture Pass Plus and Culture Pass Family are invited to attend a tour of Kahramaa Awareness Park from 6pm to 8pm on December 12 to learn more about the educational and awareness platform, whose role is to raise awareness in an entertaining and educational way, in order to disseminate information about conserving electricity and water. As well as learning about the park on the tour, members will also have the opportunity to explore the technology used in the building.

From 10am to 11am on December 15, Culture Pass Plus and Culture Pass Family are invited to attend a tour of Education City Golf Club, a landmark project of Qatar Foundation.

The events are open to Culture Pass Plus and Culture Pass Family members only.

For more information about Culture Pass, or to become a Culture Pass Plus or Culture Pass Family member please visit www.qm.org.qa/en/culturepass

Exams at end of

first semester

begin on Dec 2

QNA — DOHA

The Ministry of Education and Higher Education announced yesterday the schedule of the end of first semester exams for the academic year 2020-21 for grades (1-11) in public schools (daytime and adult education) and private schools that follow national standards.

The Ministry indicated that the exams will start on December 2, and will continue until December 16. All exam schedules will be attached and published on the website of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education www.edu.gov.qa.

53 referred to

prosecution for not

wearing masks

QNA — DOHA

The designated authorities referred 53 people to the Public Prosecution for not wearing masks in places where they are mandatory.

They also referred 10 people to the Public Prosecution for violating the maximum number of four people in a vehicle including the driver, except for cases when they are members of one family. The measure is in line with the cabinet decision, decree law no. 17 of 1990 on communicable diseases in force to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

Ashghal starts converting Street 33 in Industrial Area into ExpresswayTHE PENINSULA —DOHA

The Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has announced the start of Industrial Area Street 33 Upgrade Project, with a length of about 5km, and converting it into a highway to provide free traffic flow from 33 East Inter-change on East Industrial Street and the Industrial Area Road reaching West Industrial Street.

Street 33 will be expanded from three lanes in each direction to four lanes in each direction to accommodate about 16,000 vehicles per hour, in addition to two new

interchanges of two levels will be be built to link Street 33 with each of Al Kassarat Street and West Industrial Street , respec-tively, instead of the two existing roundabouts.

With the completion of the project works by 2022, Street 33 will bring about a major improvement in traffic movement due to its strategic location in the heart of the Industrial Area, significantly saving the travel time without the need to use the local streets.

Street 33 is integrated with the Industrial Area Road to connect the traffic coming from

Doha towards the Industrial Area and a number of other vital streets such as the East Indus-trial Street, Al Kassarat Street

and West Industrial Street to facilitate access to both Salwa Road on one side and G Ring Road on the other side.

For his part, Engineer Bader Darwish, Asst. Manager of Highway Projects Department said that the Industrial Area is among the priorities of Ashghal due to its strategic importance, developing many of the roads, it serves such as the Industrial Area Road, the G Ring Road, East Industrial Street, and West Industrial Street, in addition to the various local roads that aim to fully develop the industrial area.

He explained that Industrial Area Street 33 Upgrade Project is scheduled to be completed in the first quarter of 2022 to serve many economic and industrial facilities in the area, as Street 33 is a major link between the east and west of the industrial area.

In turn, Engineer Nasser Dalmouk, of the Highway Projects Department, said that Street 33 will improve traffic movement to and from the Industrial Area, as the devel-opment works will contribute to increasing the road capacity. He said that Greater fluidity of traffic will be achieved thanks

to the two new interchanges as they will provide free traffic flow along the street and distribute traffic through the two traffic lights at Al Kassarat Street and West Industrial Street.

For his part, Engineer Nooh Al Joof, from the Highway Projects Department, indicated that it is planned to rely on national and locally manufac-tured materials in the project’s works by about 80%, such as poles, lighting poles, directional signs, sewage pipes, rainwater drainage, asphalt and prefabri-cated manholes in addition to concrete and steel.

Engineer Bader Darwish

03MONDAY 23 NOVEMBER 2020 HOME

SSP at QU ranked in top 200 in Shanghai’s Global Ranking 2020THE PENINSULA — DOHA

The Sport Science Program (SSP) at Qatar University (QU) ranked in the top 151-200 worldwide for Sport Science Schools and Departments in Shanghai’s Global Ranking 2020. Once again, this achievement puts the SSP in a leading position in the Middle East and North Africa region (Mena).

The SSP has made signif-icant progress in research in the last few years and improved its ranking by at least 50 places compared to the 2018 Shanghai Global Ranking edition. Although the SSP is a relatively small program, with only about 10 to 12 faculty members active in research, it competes with

much bigger units worldwide, such as sports colleges or schools and sports universities.

Over the last three years, the research outcomes have almost doubled. In 2019, the program reached an average of about five published articles per faculty in reputable journals and publishers. Most publications are in top-tier journals (Q1 and Q2) and open-access, with a median impact factor of around 2.4. This excellent quality of publications assisted the SSP in increasing its visibility and ranking.

One of the pillars of the Sport Science Program is research. To capitalise on the expertise and national/interna-tional networks of faculty in SSP

and partners at QU and within the Sport Science Community in Qatar, the SSP initiated Research Units in 2017 to increase knowledge on sport and exercise matters in Qatar and the region, including Sport, Culture and Society (SCS), Sport, Physical Activity and Health (SPAH), and Sport Performance (SP).

Chair of Research Enabling Committee in Sport Science Program Dr. Lina Majed said, “We expect a further improvement in the SSP research output in the coming years. Given that we have a full new facility, which has been dedicated to state-of-the-art laboratories for physiology and movement science testing and research.

Health Ministry marks WorldAntimicrobial Awareness WeekTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

The Ministry of Public Health is participating in the global campaign to mark World Anti-microbial Awareness Week, which is being held from November 18 to 24 under the slogan, “United to preserve anti-microbials.”

The Global Antimicrobial Awareness Week is an annual celebration endorsed by the World Health Organization since 2015 to be a global event aimed at better understanding of the problem of antimicrobial resistance, raising awareness about it, and encouraging the fight against the exacerbation of the spread of antimicrobial resistance infections.

As resistance grows to a wider range of drugs beyond antibiotics, this year, the World Health Organization broadened the focus of the campaign to include all antimicrobials such as antibiotics, antivirals, anti-fungals and anti-parasitics.

The World Antimicrobial Awareness Week aims to help reduce the incorrect usage of antimicrobial medicines, and to

maintain their effectiveness for as long as possible so that those who need them can get the best possible treatment. It also aims to raise awareness of the dangers of antimicrobial resistance at the global, regional and local levels, and to encourage the implemen-tation of best practices among the general public, policy-makers, and health workers in the human and animal health as well as in other related sectors

Chairman of the National Committee for Combating anti -Microbial Resistance, Dr. Abdul Latif Al Khal said, “The National Committee to Combat Antimi-crobial Resistance is playing an effective role and leading in improving the practices of workers in the health sector and other related sectors in order to optimise the proper use of anti-microbials, raise awareness

around the increasing of antimi-crobial resistance, as well as take all actions necessary to achieve the related WHO’s Sustainable Development Goals.”

Director of the Strategic Planning and Performance Department at the Ministry of Public Health, Huda Amer Al Katheeri, affirmed that many factors can increase the risk of antimicrobial resistance around the world, including the overuse of medicines and their misuse in humans as well as in the live-stock and agricultural sectors, in addition to the lack of clean water and sanitation in certain areas of the world. She emphasised that the work to contain this problem is not limited to the celebrations of the World Antimicrobial Awareness Week, but rather is a continuous process, in line with the objectives of the National

Action Plan to address antimi-crobials resistance.

Awareness materials were developed and distributed across the health sector and to partners and stakeholders. Addi-tionally, an expanded social media campaign aimed at enhancing awareness of the antimicrobial component and the optimal use of it was launched under the theme “Unite to prevent antimicrobial

resistance”. The Ministry of Public Health

building was also lit in blue, based on the recommendations of the World Health Organization.

Among the activities during this week, the Ministry of Public Health will hold a virtual scien-tific symposium on November 25 under the title “United to Pre-serve Antimicrobials: Optimal Antimicrobial Stewardship from

Theory to Practice.” The invi-tation is open to all specialised sectors and stakeholders in the country. The symposium is a collaboration between the Stra-tegic Planning and Performance Department team at the Ministry of Public Health, experts from the Ministry of Municipality and Environment, Hamad Medical Corporation, Primary Health Care Corporation and Sidra Hospital.

The Ministry of Public Health building lit up in blue to mark the World Antimicrobial Awareness Week.

The Global Antimicrobial Awareness Week is an

annual celebration endorsed by the World Health

Organization since 2015 to be a global event aimed at

better understanding of the problem of antimicrobial

resistance.

Hundreds on waiting list to learn drivingSIDI MOHAMED THE PENINSULA

Due to COVID-19 restrictions period, driving schools are witnessing huge demand for driving classes particularly for light vehicle driving licences.

“We are working now only with 50 percent of our capacity, and the number of learners is witnessing an increase in driving schools. Also there are some learners registered before COVID-19 period and so far did not join the training,” said Mohamed Al Zain Ibrahim, Executive Manager of Gulf Driving School.

He told The Peninsula that hundreds of people are on the waiting list due to the closure period, which lasted many months.

There are also other reasons behind increase in number of aspirants of driving licences like the limited number of driving schools and limited capacity of some of

existing schools. Some schools have a small area, and do not accommodate a large number of cars and trainers.

Despite all this, schools doing their best to accom-modate all applicants for driving training.

Driving schools have wit-nessed many developments and more are underway in coordination with the General Directorate of Traffic as driving

licence is a common necessity for everyone nowadays and there are some companies which insist their employees must secure a driving licence.

About the percentage of success among trainees, Al Zain said that the success rate is rea-sonable compared to the number of trainees currently.

Regarding the demand for heavy-vehicle licences, he noted, “The demand for heavy-vehicle licences is less com-pared to light-vehicle driving licences.”

Regarding a question about whether new categories of pro-fessions were allowed to apply for the licence, he said that they have not received any details in this regard so far, and they also do not know when it will be allowed to work by their full capacity. The General Direc-torate of Traffic said earlier that it has tightened mechanisms of issuing the driving licence and the aim is to decrease the rate of injuries and deaths resulting from traffic accidents.

Mohamed Al Zain Ibrahim, Executive Manager of Gulf Driving School

All pregnant women in Qatar are screened for diabetes: OfficialFAZEENA SALEEM THE PENINSULA

Due to high prevalence of diabetes and obesity, Qatar has implemented a universal screening approach for all preg-nancies.

“Gestational diabetes, which occurs during preg-nancy, affects about 23 percent of all pregnant women in Qatar; this translates into 6,000-6,500 cases each year,” said Director, Qatar Metabolic Institute, Chief Quality Officer and Deputy CMO, Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), P r o f . A b d u l - B a d i

Abou-Samra.“All pregnant women in

Qatar are screened for dia-betes. The screening has become embedded in the routine practice of Primary Care Health Center and Hamad Medical Corporation in a highly coordinated pathway. Thus all women with gestational dia-betes are discovered and guided to treatment,” he told The Peninsula.

Diabetes affects 17% of adults living in Qatar, this includes both Qatari and long term residents; the number is around 150,000 patients in Qatar. Most of these patients,

about 140,000, have type 2 diabetes and only about 10,000 have type 1 diabetes. Pre-dia-betes affects about 20% of all adults.

“Obesity is the main risk factor responsible for the high levels of type 2 diabetes, pre-diabetes and gestational dia-betes in Qatar,” said Prof. Abdul-Badi Abou-Samra.

He emphasised the fact that healthy lifestyle is key in the prevention and management of diabetes and is superior to medication.

“International studies in several countries across the globe showed weight reduction

(by about 7%) and exercise (30 min daily) prevent progression from prediabetes to diabetes in individuals who are at high risk. Also recent data from our team in Qatar and from a research group in the UK showed that weight loss of 7-15% of body weight during 3 months causes reversal of type 2 diabetes in those who had a recent diabetes diagnosis,” said P r o f . A b d u l - B a d i Abou-Samra.

“Therefore, I would like to emphasize the role of healthy eating and weight reduction of those with excess in both prevention and treatment of

type 2 diabetes,” he said. Development of type 2 dia-

betes occurs over a very long period. Most patients have risk factors for a longtime, and then they develop pre-dia-betes. Pre-diabetes is a term used when blood sugar is above normal but not so high to diagnose diabetes.

“Patients with pre-diabetes have increased risk for com-plications. Patients with pre-diabetes convert to diabetes at a rate of about 8-10% per year. Thus most patients with pre-diabetes becomes diabetic in about 10 years. Also when dia-betes occurs, it remains

non-symptomatic for a longtime. During this period patients are not aware that they have diabetes. We estimate that about 3% of the adult popu-lation have diabetes but are not aware of it,” said Prof. Abdul-Badi Abou-Samra.

For early detection of dia-betes, the Primary Healthcare Corporation is running a screening clinic, SMART clinic, to screen for multiple chronic conditions including diabetes. Patients discovered during the screening are also guided to the right treatment pathway between primary health care and HMC.

04 MONDAY 23 NOVEMBER 2020HOME

Qatar attends 47th GSO Technical Council meetingQNA — DOHA

The State of Qatar is partici-pating in the extraordinary meeting of the 47th Technical Council of the GCC Standardi-zation Organization (GSO), which began yesterday via video conference and will last for two days.

The State of Qatar is repre-sented in the meeting by Chairman of Qatar General Organization for Standardi-zation and Metrology (QGOSM) Engineer Mohammed bin Saud Al Musallam.

The meeting will discuss a number of important issues related to the implementation of the previous decisions of the Technical Council of the GSO, and will also review memos submitted by the GSO’s presi-dency in various fields, including a memorandum on

the follow-up of the decisions of the two council meetings No. 44 and 45.

In the field of standardi-sation and metrology, the meeting will discuss a memo-randum from the GSO’s presi-dency regarding the approval of GCC standards and technical regulations and their amend-ments, in addition to presenting another memo regarding updating the technical work guide (method for producing GCC standards and technical regulations and their projects). The meeting will also discuss a memorandum on the technical committees plans for 2021.

The consolidated report reviews the progress of the Technical Council of the GSO, and discusses a memorandum related to the evaluation for the year 2019, a memorandum from the GSO’s presidency

regarding the outcomes of the 29th meeting of the Steering Committee for Metrology, and another note regarding the report of the Chairman of the GCC metrology group.

The meeting will discuss a memorandum from the GSO’s presidency guideline (law) product safety and market survey, and a memorandum related to the development of the GCC conformity system, and the application of the GCC tech-nical regulation for low-voltage electrical appliances and equipment to household appli-ances. The extension of the transitional period to accept the standard specifications adopted with the approval will also be discussed, in addition to dis-cussing the costs of fuel economy cards for GCC con-formity certificates for vehicles and tires.

In the field of communi-cation, a memorandum of the GSO’s presidency will be pre-sented on the progress of a project that has completed the work of publishing and pro-ducing GCC standards and tech-nical regulations.

In regard to corporate services, a memorandum on the final account of the organization for the year 2019 and another memo regarding the outcomes of the 30th meeting of the

Administrative and Financial Committee will be presented as well. The meeting will discuss developments in the implemen-tation of the GSO’s strategic plan for the period from 2016 to 2020 and present the strategic plan of the Gulf Standardization Organization for the period

from 2021 to 2025, and the meeting concludes with a dis-cussion of the memo by the GSO’s presidency regarding the proposal to delegate the GSO’s Technical Council some of the powers of the ministerial com-mittee for standardization affairs.

Chairman of QGOSM, Engineer Mohammed bin Saud Al Musallam, participating in the meeting virtually.

Lulu Hypermarket launches ‘Super Friday’ promotionTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

The leading retailer, LuLu Hypermarket has launched ‘Super Friday’ promotion offering massive discounts on electronics, mobile phones, fashion and other products from grocery and fresh food categories, which coincides with the Black Friday shopping season across the globe.

Running till December 5, offers will be available across the stores in the country and its online shopping portal

Dr. Mohamed Althaf, Director of LuLu Hypermarkets, said: “We are excited to launch our biggest promotion yet for the much-awaited shopping season of the year. Our shoppers can expect big dis-counts across all our major cat-egories, such as tech, fashion, home appliances, and even grocery products. We have also boosted our e-commerce platform with exclusive online discounts.”

In anticipation of high demand, LuLu has added more vehicles and beefed up its

global contact center with a sig-nificant increase in manpower to better reach and serve its valued customers.

Running till December 5, offers will be available across the stores in the country and its online shopping portal www.luluhypermarket.com. Apart

from its high-quality product range, LuLu has ensured safe shopping by implementing health and hygiene measures, from contactless payments to safety measures among its employees, and regular saniti-zation of warehouse and transport facilities.

Commodities showcased under ‘Super Friday’ promotion at a Lulu outlet.

In the field of standardisation

and metrology, the meeting

will discuss a memorandum

from the GSO’s presidency

regarding the approval of GCC

standards and technical

regulations and their

amendments, in addition to

presenting another memo

regarding updating the

technical work guide (method

for producing GCC standards

and technical regulations and

their projects).

Al Rayyan Stadium to open on Qatar National Day

Ras Abu Aboud Stadium A general aerial view of the Education City Stadium.

Katara launches postage stamps designed by kids

FROM PAGE 1

Education City Stadium recently played host to the AFC Champions League competition.

The iconic Khalifa International Stadium became the first Qatar 2022 stadium to open when it hosted the Amir Cup final in 2017. Located in Aspire Zone, the 40,000-capacity structure has hosted many world-class events like AFC Champions League, 24th Arabian Gulf Cup, FIFA Club World Cup Qatar 2019, and the 2019 Asian Athletics and IAAF World Athletics Championships. The stadium will host matches up to the third-place

playoff of the 2022 World Cup.The Qatar 2022 final host, the Lusail

Stadium, is designed with characteristics of the interplay of light and shadow of the fanar lantern. The 80,000-capacity masterpiece is located in the state-of-the-art Lusail City and will host 10 matches, including the final. The stadium’s concrete works and bowl steel installation have been completed, while the roof’s big lift has commenced. The stadium’s steel structure and façade are ongoing, as are the mechanical, engineering, plumbing, and finishing works.

The Ras Abu Aboud Stadium will set an

unprecedented milestone as it will be the first fully demountable and re-usable venue in World Cup history. The 40,000-capacity stadium will be built using shipping con-tainers and other modular materials. The stadium will be built using 998 modular con-tainers, with the delivery and installation of all remaining containers now completed. This includes special containers for the completed Kahramaa Primary Substation. All remaining structural steel members, including tension rods, have also been delivered and installed. Installation of all seats in the stadium’s bowl has also been completed.

FROM PAGE 1

The newly issued postage stamps are another significant addition to the collection of Arab Postal Stamps Museum in Katara.

Established in 2010 as part of the cultural activities for Doha Capital of Arab Culture, the museum boasts multi-themed stamp collections from 22 Arab countries affirming its important role in the field of philately and the history of the region.

Yesterday’s launch was the second time that stamps on a Katara event was unveiled. The

first time was in May 2015 to mark the inaugural edition of

Katara Prize for Arabic Novel, which has now become the most prestigious award of its kind in the region.

World Children’s Day is cel-ebrated on November 20 every year “to promote international togetherness, awareness among children worldwide, and improving children’s welfare” according to the United Nations. It takes on special significance for Katara, which directs programs and activities for children throughout the year aimed at developing their skills and honing their creativity.

Katara General Manager Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti (centre) with other officials at the launch of the postage stamps celebrating World Children’s Day at Katara yesterday.

Seven arrested for violating home quarantine rulesQNA — DOHA

The authorities arrested yesterday seven people who violated the requirements of the home quarantine, they committed to following, which they are legally a c c o u n t a b l e f o r , i n accordance with the proce-dures of the health authorities in the country

It is in implementation of the precautionary measures in force in the country, approved by health author-ities represented in the Min-istry of Public Health (MoPH) to ensure the achievement of public safety and to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

The arrested persons being referred to the com-petent prosecution have b e e n i d e n t i f i e d a s M o h a m m e d M i a h ,

Mohammed Imdad Allah, Al Tayyib Yassin Al Sheikh, Mohammed Salem Saleh Rashid, Khalil bin Habib, Saud Ahmed Al Sulaiti and Malek Issa Mahmoud.

The concerned authorities in the State called on citizens and residents who are subject to quarantine to fully adhere to the requirements set by the Ministry of Public Health, to ensure their safety and the safety of others.

They warned that anyone who violates these conditions will be subject to the pen-al t ies s t ipulated in accordance with the provi-sions of Article 253 of the Penal Code No. 11 of 2004, and the provisions of Law No. 17 of 1990 regarding the pre-vention of infectious dis-eases, and Law No. 17 of 2002 on the protection of society.

QA helps bring tens of thousands of seafarers homeFROM PAGE 1

With the support of the maritime industry, Qatar Airways was also able to establish scheduled services to Cebu and Clark in the Philippines.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, H E Akbar Al Baker, said: “Qatar Airways recognises the vital role shipping plays and how seafarers are essential to keeping the global economy open and operating. As a gesture of our thanks and to show our support to the industry, we have established a dedicated Mariner Lounge at Hamad International Airport that is complimentary for all seafarers and offshore workers travelling with Qatar Airways. While waiting for their con-necting flight they can relax in comfort and enjoy the wide

variety of refreshments on offer.

“Throughout the pandemic, we have worked closely with governments and the maritime industry to operate as many flights as possible to facilitate crew changes and to reunite seafarers with their families and loved ones. While other air-lines stopped flying, Qatar Airways pledges to remain open for business to facilitate essential business travel. With plans to further expand our network to more than 125 des-tinations, we will continue to work closely with all stake-holders to continue to be the airline of choice to keep sea-farers and the global economy moving.”

Qatar Airways’ strategic investment in a variety of fuel-efficient, twin-engine aircraft,

including the largest fleet of Airbus A350 aircraft, has enabled it to continue flying throughout this crisis and per-fectly positions it to lead the sustainable recovery of inter-national travel.

The airline recently took delivery of three new state-of-the-art Airbus A350-1000 air-craft, increasing its total A350 fleet to 52 with an average age of just 2.6 years. Due to COVID-19’s impact on travel demand, the airline has grounded its fleet of Airbus A380s as it is not environ-mentally justifiable to operate such a large, four-engine aircraft in the current market. Qatar Airways has also recently launched a new programme that enables passengers to voluntarily offset the carbon emissions asso-ciated with their journey at the point of booking.

Firms must coordinate with MoTC to install EV charging unitsFROM PAGE 1

It also coordinates with private sector com-panies to provide a number of charging units for free – to be installed at locations to be specified by MoTC – and perform periodic maintenance for them.

The strategy backs the country’s agenda for a greener future and contributes to striking an economic-environmental balance in a way that ensures transportation sector’s

infrastructure projects sustainability, sup-porting economic growth and making the most out of the natural resources by increasing the revenues of oil and gas sectors and developing the means of transportation though deploying clean and alternative energy in step with latest universal eco-friendly systems to reduce carbon emissions and, therefore, create a clean, healthy and safe environment for generations to come.

Running till December 5, offers will be available across the

stores in the country and its online shopping portal

www.luluhypermarket.com. Apart from its high-quality product

range, LuLu has ensured safe shopping by implementing health

and hygiene measures.

The newly issued postage

stamps are another

significant addition to the

collection of Arab Postal

Stamps Museum in Katara.

Established in 2010 as part

of the cultural activities for

Doha Capital of Arab Culture,

the museum boasts multi-

themed stamp collections

from 22 Arab countries.

05MONDAY 23 NOVEMBER 2020 HOME

Traffic Department organises awareness programmes for campersTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

In order to spread the traffic awareness among campers, Traffic Awareness Department at the General Directorate of Traffic visited on Friday the dune bashing activity being organised in Al Udeid.

The activity is being organised by Mawater Centre of the Ministry of Culture and Sports. Commenting on the Department visit, Captain Abdul Wahed Gharib Al Enezi, Traffic Awareness Officer, said the department is keen to attend and supervise such events to make it successful. Also, it is a chance to meet dune bashing enthusiasts to educate them about traffic rules and safety measures.

“We are today with all other parties to make this event a success, which is considered one

of the favourite activities for young people,” he said.

Al Enezi added that the Department carries out its awareness campaign through the vehicles designated for traffic awareness. Through the vehicle’ screen, it displays

traffic laws and regulations. The Department called on campers and visitors to the Sealine Area and other places to adhere to the precautionary measures set by the State to limit the spread of the coronavirus among members of society.

Traffic awareness Department officials with campers in Al Udeid.

Sidra marks World Prematurity Day

HMC cautions about dangers of carbon monoxide poisoningTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Last winter between 70 and 100 patients were treated each month at Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Emergency Departments for carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. As the cooler temperatures begin to set in, an emergency medicine specialist at HMC is warning the public about the dangers of burning charcoal and wood inside their homes.

“CO exposure is responsible for more unintentional poi-soning than any other agent, and during the colder months our Emergency Departments see a significant increase in the number of patients with carbon monoxide poisoning,” said an Accident and Emergency Con-sultant and Medical Toxicologist at HMC, Dr. Galal Saleh Al Essai.

Carbon monoxide is an

odourless, colourless, nonirri-tating gas produced by the incomplete combustion of carbon-based fuels. CO is found in fumes produced by furnaces, vehicles, portable generators, stoves, lanterns, gas ranges, and burning charcoal or wood.

“With the colder season approaching, it is very important for people to be aware of the risk of CO poi-soning and to take extra pre-cautions. Some people burn coal or wood inside their homes to stay warm during the winter months and are unaware of the danger and the risk of CO poisoning.

“Sadly, we see deaths each year as a result of carbon mon-oxide poisoning and specifically as a result of smoke inhalation from the burning of coal and wood in enclosed areas. And there are other sources of

carbon monoxide poisoning that people may be unaware of, including smoking shisha. The charcoal used to heat the tobacco in a hookah gives off potentially toxic amounts of carbon monoxide,” added Dr.

Al Essai.Signs and symptoms of

carbon monoxide poisoning may include a dull headache, weakness, dizziness, nausea or vomiting, shortness of breath, confusion, blurred vision, and

loss of consciousness. While anyone is at risk for carbon monoxide poisoning, some pop-ulation groups are particularly vulnerable, including pregnant women, newborns, young children, the elderly, and those with chronic illnesses, such as pulmonary, respiratory, or car-diovascular problems and anaemia.

“CO can build up in enclosed or partially enclosed spaces very quickly. It can be very hard to detect and people who are sleeping can die from CO poisoning before they have symptoms,” said Dr. Al Essai.

“Never use a gas-powered generator indoors, including inside a camper or tent. Never burn charcoal or wood indoors, unless it is in an approved indoor wood-burning appliance. Never use

a gas range or oven for heating and only use portable gas camp stoves outdoors. Only use fuel-burning appli-ances such as space heaters, furnaces, charcoal grills, cooking ranges, water heaters, fireplaces, portable generators, and wood-burning stoves in properly vented spaces. Speak up when they see something unsafe. It is essential that we all work together as a community to raise awareness about the dangers of CO poisoning,” said Dr. Al Essai.

Dr. Al Essai said that carbon monoxide poisoning is so dan-gerous because the signs and symptoms can be easy to miss. He said most patients treated at the Emergency Department for CO poisoning have flu-like symptoms such as a headache, dizziness, nausea, and fatigue.

QU-CENG organises IAESTE eventTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Qatar University College of Engi-neering (QU-CENG) organised an event for the International Asso-ciation for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience (IAESTE) to present program details.

The event was sponsored by Dolphin Energy Limited and Qatar Petroleum Development Co Ltd. The event aims at com-municating with students to urge them to join the program and look for the most prominent training opportunities available.

Dolphin Energy’s General Manager – Qatar, Hassan Al Emadi, said, “This significant training platform has been designed to enhance the skills of talented Qatari and international students, and we are delighted to

join forces with Qatar University on this important initiative. By providing advanced and multi-cultural training opportunities, we hope future technical chal-lenges will be solved. Those taking part will graduate and develop into future leaders and contribute to their nation’s well-being. We are delighted to be sponsors and wish all the partic-ipants the best of luck.”

In his speech, QU-CENG Dean Dr. Khaled Kamal Naji said, “We are honoured at QU-CENG to be Qatar’s representative of the International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience. We will facilitate the enrolment proce-dures for various training oppor-tunities in the participating country to develop solutions to the challenges facing the

organisation’s work plans, and to enhance exchange between member states.”

“Qatar joined IAESTE in 2011 to prepare qualified graduates who can contribute effectively to areas they join and make a dif-ference. QU-CENG seeks to cul-tivate the talents of its students with international experiences through this exchange. We seek to meet the challenges of student exchange in the countries of the region and to enhance student exchange between these coun-tries,” Dr. Naji added.

It is concerned with students’ exchange for technical work experience abroad, as students gain organisation appropriate technical training. This organi-sation includes committees rep-resenting more than 80 countries.

CO exposure is responsible

for more unintentional

poisonings than any other

agent, and during the

colder months our

Emergency Departments

see a significant increase

in the number of patients

with carbon monoxide

poisoning.

Dr. Galal Saleh Al Essai, Accident and Emergency Consultant and Medical Toxicologist at HMC

THE PENINSULA — DOHA

Sidra Medicine marked World Prematurity Day in support of raising awareness about preterm birth. The hospital hosted several information sessions with staff and parents and also lit up its main building in purple, the official colour for the observance.

World Prematurity Day is observed on November 17 each year to raise awareness of preterm birth and the concerns of preterm babies and their families worldwide.

The Division Chief of Neonatology at Sidra Medicine, Dr. Charlotte Tscherning said, “Approximately 15 million babies are born preterm each year, accounting for about one in 10 of all babies born worldwide. In addition, pre-mature birth is the leading cause of death globally in children under the age of five. For preterm babies who survive, the additional burden of prematurity-related disa-bility may affect families and health systems.

“Observing this important day is a major step towards raising awareness, educating families and healthcare profes-sionals of the milestones and advancements in the field and what we can all do in not only

continually improving the quality of care but also saving the lives of preterm babies. We also wanted to acknowledge the role of our own Neonatal ICU staff and their tireless efforts in saving the lives of premature and sick babies at our hospital.”

On November 17, the NICU team from Sidra Medicine gathered with families whose babies were NICU patients to mark the occasion along with senior leadership, including the Managing Director and Member

of the Board of Governors at Sidra Medicine, Mohammed Khalid Al Mana and Acting Chief Medical Officer, Prof Ziyad M Hijazi.

The agenda included presentations about the

challenges of giving complex neonatal care to the babies, along with making sure that the sensorial inputs to the babies are controlled and also supporting the parents to connect with their newborn baby. The day ended with a walk around the main hos-pital building with staff and guests sporting purple glow sticks in support of families everywhere.

The program also featured the stories from three mothers, who each shared the journeys of their sick babies and the challenges they overcame. Eme, whose daughter Winifred was born premature last year, shared her experience as a NICU parent and the care that was provided at Sidra Medicine following her daughter’s surgery to treat Short Bowel Syndrome.

“Thank you to everyone at Sidra Medicine who took such good care of us. We spent seven months in the NICU ward and we could feel the love and care for our little fighter Winifred. We are truly grateful for the amazing care and for saving her life. There were some very hard and challenging days. However, the team at Sidra Medicine were wonderful in supporting us every step of the way,” Eme said.

Approximately 15 million

babies are born preterm

each year, accounting for

about one in 10 of all

babies born worldwide.

In addition, premature

birth is the leading cause

of death globally in

children under the age

of five.

Division Chief of Neonatology at Sidra Medicine, Dr. Charlotte Tscherning

Huawei FreeBuds Pro now available at Ooredoo eShopTHE PENINSULA — DOHA

Qatar’s leading telecommunications operator has announced that the Huawei FreeBuds Pro is now available at the Ooredoo eShop.

The Huawei FreeBuds Pro is the world’s first dynamic noise cancellation True Wireless Stereo (TWS) earphones, which provide an enhanced, com-fortable audio experience and iconic design.

In addition to long battery life, the FreeBuds Pro also supports wired and wireless Huawei Super-Charge, which can charge up to 30% wired and 18% wirelessly in 10 minutes. This functionality is paired with other features such as dual device connection across multiple platforms, smart interactive features, and a seamless connectivity experience.

Customers can get their new Huawei FreeBuds Pro from the Ooredoo eShop for just QR649 and get double Nojoom Points with their purchase.

Director PR at Ooredoo, Sabah Rabiah Al Kuwari, said, “We’re delighted to be able to offer our cus-tomers the Huawei FreeBuds Pro at the Ooredoo eShop. Not only can they get a great deal on this new product with the extra Nojoom points; they can expe-rience how quick, easy and efficient our digital sales channels are, making their purchase experience smooth and enjoyable.”

Baby Winifred and Eme.

AYENI OLUSEGUN THE PENINSULA

Amanat Solanki had and is doing it all from a teenage dream of providing affordable education, healthcare, equality, and spreading awareness on important issues.

Now 28, the social entre-preneur who had his primary and higher education in Qatar, Solanki, had seen his youth organization Mission20, established when he was 14 with his friends, grow into a force to reach out to vulnerable people in society. Solanki is also an alumnus of Herriot-Watt Uni-versity in Scotland.

From raising money to help typhoon victims in the Philippines and donating to Nepal’s earthquake victims, Mission20 has participated in several social projects in part-nership with charity organizations in Qatar. The organization was rebranded in 2017 as Mission20 Foundation – a social responsibility arm under the Solanki Mission Group.

Speaking to The Peninsula, Solanki, from a business-oriented background through his father (Abdulbasid Solanki), said his social responsibility vision was inspired by his mentor and a former Qatar-based teacher Shakil Ahmed.

Travelling with reach Out to Asia (ROTA) across the continent also inspired Solanki, lighting a fire in his already growing vision.

“I went into social responsi-bility and made it part of my life mainly because of one person, Shakeel Sir (Shakeel Ahmed). He was my teacher and is the founder of Kainat Foundation who runs the same school (Kainat International School). He gave us an opportunity to visit his village, and the school

was the only concrete building. It was more than a school to the villagers.

“I visited eight years after my first visit and saw many changes,

and then I heard people speaking English. That was an eye-opener for me,” Solanki said.

Connecting sports with social responsibility through the Missions Trophy since 2009 is another project that helps drive his vision. Through that, they have managed to build a hall called Mission20 Hall in Bihar State in India (which happens to be what he calls his most significant achievement). The Hall is used as classrooms during the day and into a community centre at night.

“We got the funding for this project through our football com-petition. We did that in the school days though it took us some time to finish it. It’s a school in the village, and it’s the only private school in the area, and it makes a difference in that part of the world.

“We have the vision to set up a healthcare system for the needy by 2027 in India. We have some

properties in India that can be remodeled into a school, but that’s another project,” Solanki told The Peninsula.

Solanki aims to do more phil-anthropic ventures, but he knows building a business to fund his vision is the best option. According to him, understanding this helped shaped his knowledge of social entrepreneurship.

He began as a business exec-utive in the trading division under his father’s company Solanki Trading & Contracting. A graduate of marketing and business man-agement, but an IT lover at heart, Solanki formed his own IT Company (M20Zero) after grad-uating college.

His company also developed its Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). ERP is a type of software that organizations use to manage day-to-day business activities such as accounting, procurement,

DOHA TODAY06 MONDAY 23 NOVEMBER 2020

At Hamad Medical Corporation we are utilizing advanced technology and innovative systems to deliver the highestquality care to Qatar’s population.

www.hamad.qa

Ultra-modern operatingtheaters

State-of-the-art ambulancefleet

Highly-advanced patientinformation systems

Cutting-edge treatments forcancer

With so many milestones

to accomplish, the social

entrepreneur wants to

continue investing and

hopes to see his IT

company grow and run

independently. But most

importantly, his life’s

mission is to reach out to

vulnerable people and

create dialogues to solve

society’s immediate

problems.

Spreading hope and humanity one place at a time

Qatar resident and social entrepreneur Amanat Solanki.

Robotics team mentored by Texas A&M at

Qatar finishes 19th at FIRST Global ChallengeTHE PENINSULA – DOHA

Team Qatar, the STEM-vengers, have finished in 19th place among 175 teams worldwide in the FIRST Global Challenge.

The team is part of Texas A&M University at Qatar’s STEM Hub Robotics Club (SHRC), a joint initi-ative between the QF partner uni-versity and the Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF).

Team Qatar is made up of 25 high school students with interest in robotics from 14 schools across Qatar.

The annual FIRST Global Chal-lenge, an “Olympics”-style robotics event, is based on the 14 Grand Challenges of Engineering identified by the U.S. National Academy of Engineering. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 competition, “Connecting Commu-nities,” consisted of three months filled with social media and tech-nical challenges, talks by STEM pro-fessionals, and technical training sessions — all while connecting the FIRST Global Community around the world.

Mohammed Al Marri said, “I have participated in many STEM outreach programs at Texas A&M in Qatar. I aspire to become an engineer who solves various problems from renewable energy methods to global environmental challenges. FIRST Global Challenge 2020 was not only an opportunity for students to consolidate their learning, but a home to a diverse

community of members to come together and take on problems of purpose. Team Qatar is keen on delivering results every day to benefit the world by whatever means necessary. I’m proud of my contribution to Team Qatar’s per-formance this year, and I’m most definitely excited about next year’s competition!”

QNRF Executive Director, Dr Abdul Sattar Al Taie, said, “I would like to congratulate the team repre-senting Qatar in the FIRST Global Challenge for being ranked in the top 20 among 175 teams from across the world.

"This achievement is a tes-timony of the success of our part-nership with Texas A&M University at Qatar through the state-of-the-art STEM HUB facility, which has been providing training to students from schools across the country and nurturing them as Qatar’s future researchers and scientists. The team’s impressive per-formance at this high-level robotics competition will greatly motivate other students to pursue STEM education with passion, and through their knowledge, con-tribute to the development of Qatar.”

The team was mentored by Texas A&M at Qatar’s STEM program specialist Dr. Mohamed Gharib to promote creative appli-cations of engineering and science toward innovative thinking and original design among Qatar’s youth. Gharib established the SHRC

at Texas A&M at Qatar in 2019 in cooperation with QNRF to use robotics to enhance, supplement, and enrich science and math learning experiences for secondary students.

To put together a team of tal-ented students from different schools in Qatar whose interests are in engineering in general and robotics in particular; and prepare them to participate in international competitions.

Team Qatar has shown a strong presence in the FIRST Global com-petitions since the first participating in 2018 when Qatar achieved the bronze medal in Mexico. In 2019, Gharib won the Outstanding Mentor Award, which is given to mentors committed to their students and inspired them to keep going, despite any challenges.

Gharib said, “I am so proud of these students who dedicated their time and effort with passion and creativity for three months. They always have the determination to introduce innovative ideas, and with their talent and teamwork in different areas, they developed impressive solutions for the 25 chal-lenges in the current competition.

"STEM education in Qatar is rapidly developing and directly influences the students’ knowledge and skills. As a result, Qatar teams have shown a strong presence in the latest competitions by FIRST Global. The support of Texas A&M at Qatar and Qatar National Research Fund was invaluable.”

Participating students at the FIRST Global Challenge pose with their invention.

ISC organises online fitness challengeTHE PENINSULA – DOHA

As part of the Year of Sports initiative, the Indian Sports Center (ISC), under the patronage of the Embassy of India, recently organised for the first time the 'ISC Online Fitness Challenge' where a total of 71 participants regis-tered from Qatar and partic-ipated.

Separate events for men and women were conducted for push-ups, squats, and planks. Virtual competition on Zoom platform and Facebook Live lasted for three hours, where all the participants competed in the respective categories for the title.

Capt Atla Mohan, Defense Attaché at Embassy of India and coordinating officer for Indian Sports Center inaugurated the competition.

ISC President Hassan Chougule announced the winners and runners for the Squats and emphasized the importance of fitness daily and the initiatives taken by ISC in promoting sports and fitness.

ISC Vice President Abdurahman E.P delivered closing remarks and announced the prize winners f o r t h e p u s h - u p s competition. ISC General Secretary Nisha Agrawal was among the judges and announced the winners for Planks (women).

The winner and runner-up in the women category for squats are Judi Paul and Vijayalakshmi. Push-ups were Judi Paul and Janani Nagarajan, while Nishana Macksood and Janani Nagarajan won the planks.

In the men's category, the winner and runner up for Squats were Bilal Mohammed and Shafeeq Mohammed; for Push-ups, Bilal Mohammed and Prashanth S Kumbi. Nagarajan Velappan and Prashanth S Kumbi claimed the win in planks.

project management, risk management and com-pliance, and supply chain operations.

Solanki’s company also provides free lectures on the latest trends in IT to school kids in Qatar.

“I am very passionate about IT. ERP’s are costly software, and we have managed to develop ours. We help companies develop their software to run their entire operation. We do web designs, mobile applica-tions, and more. We support small companies to help their business grow through Mission20 knowledge.”

He also formed a new business, Berries and More, with a friend, which he said aims to push sustaina-bility awareness and promote healthy living.

“We aim to push eating healthy. This idea was born in the pandemic, and we have two branches so far. Our model is to grow into a franchise in Qatar. All are part of the Mission20 family. We want to make sure we can earn well and provide jobs for people. That’s the service!”

In his fight for equal education rights and women empowerment, Solanki believes parents, especially in impoverished parts of the world, need to be edu-cated as to the importance of educating their kids.

“Sometimes, parents don’t understand the need to educate their kids because they feel the child being in school blocks a stream of income. We need more affordable institutions and relevant authorities to promote the importance of education and let kids show the difference education makes in their lives. Though some parents value education, they need to be in the right environment to thrive. After education, employment is the next big need. It’s not about giving money we need to empower people,” he noted.

With so many milestones to accomplish, the social entrepreneur wants to continue investing and hopes to see his IT Company grow and run independently. But most importantly, his life’s mission is to reach out to vulnerable people and create dialogues to solve society’s immediate problems.

THE PENINSULA – DOHA

Presented in its first-ever hybrid edition, the Doha Film Insti-tute’s (DFI) 8th Ajyal Film Festival hosted its annual Kids’ Special Screening with a spec-tacular open-air event at the new Lusail Drive-In Cinema. The Festival’s compelling cine-matic and cultural programme for audiences of all ages also featured Libyan interna-tional humanitarian hero, Dr. Alaa Murabit, as part of this year’s virtual Ajyal Talks showcase.

Bringing together children in their favourite prince and princess costumes, this year’s Kids’ Special Screening cele-brated the 70th year of Disney’s beloved animated classic

Cinderella by Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, and Hamilton Luske. The nostalgically enduring family-favourite follows Cinderella’s life as it is forever changed when her fairy godmother appears and magi-cally transforms her reality into a dream come true.

Meanwhile, ‘In Conver-sation with Dr. Alaa Murabit’

gave audiences unique insights into the definition and articu-lation of change and success in today’s world. In the virtual dis-cussion, Dr. Murabit touched on how her move to Libya as a 15-year-old teenager presented a new challenge and helped her grow through discomfort to redefine her understanding of success.

Celebrated as a ‘Forbes 30 Under 30’ and one of Canada’s 100 most impactful women in history, Dr. Murabit serves as an advisor to organisations such as the UN Women Global Advisory Board and the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).

She is one of 17 Global Sus-tainable Development Goal Advocates appointed by the UN Secretary-General.

Addressing the online audience, Dr. Murabit said, “I highly recommend placing yourself in uncomfortable posi-tions in life - where you are not always heard or acknowledged – as they can be incredibly pow-erful for your own leadership. Through these situations, you

will learn how to negotiate with people and how to recognize their diversity.”

On the search for one’s per-sonal goals, she said, “Whether you want to pursue academic research, speak out on important issues or teach – it’s important to ask yourself: Where do you feel the most effective to change the world?

No matter which path you choose, you need a genuine sense of compassion in the way you communicate with others.”

Speaking on today’s

unprecedented access to digital information, Dr. Murabit com-mented, “Maybe success is putting yourself on the line to give people who are not in the room a voice, looking at stories that haven’t been told yet, or empowering people who are generally powerless.

Maybe success looks dif-ferent in today’s world because the world has changed from the one our parents grew up in.

It would be a shame to live in a time of incredible access and not change our definition

of success – and ourselves.”Nicknamed the “The Libyan

Doogie Howser” by Jon Stewart for attending medical school at 15, in 2019 Dr. Murabit was selected as one of the Top 20 of the ‘World’s 100 Most Influ-ential People in Gender Policy’ alongside Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Melinda Gates, and Michelle Obama.

She has spoken at some of the most prestigious events and institutions worldwide, including SXSW, Oxford, and TED.

THE PENINSULA – DOHA

Twenty-four teachers from Qatar’s public schools will again participate in a robotics-training course. The course comprises of 10 classes and has been organized and hosted by the College of the North Atlantic-Qatar (CNA-Q) for the past several years.

The training is provided in part-nership with the Ministry of Edu-cation and Higher Education, who have been instrumental in ensuring that teachers participate.

The robotics training and its sub-sequent delivery across the public school system is vital in developing student interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathe-matics), and a fun and effective way to inspire the young to engage.

The free training sessions are provided in both English and Arabic during the evenings.

Since CNA-Q started hosting the robotics teacher-training program, hundreds of teachers across Qatar have been trained to bring applied STEM education into their classrooms in a fun and interactive way. Teachers receive about 30 hours of instruction in robotics programming on the CNA-Q campus.

The impact on children’s education

is not only to support student’s advancement with their STEM skills, it also develops other transferable skills such as teamwork, communication and innovation.

The training ensures that the edu-cation system in Qatar is both current and capable of developing students’ competence in these areas, sup-porting the future needs of our pro-gressive and innovative society.

Dr. Tom Wigger, Vice President for Academic Affairs at the College of the North Atlantic in Qatar, com-mented, “Robotics are part of a global movement to encourage hands-on skills training and technology inte-gration for young people.

We strongly believe in the

importance of students’ early exposure to programming and robotics as a way to increase their awareness of the many professional opportunities awaiting them in the fields of science, technology, engi-neering and mathematics.”

“To achieve the Qatar National Vision 2030, the country needs a workforce dedicated to technical competence, and by introducing robotics programs and other scien-tific disciplines in the classroom, we are helping to develop the skills needed to build a bright future.

We are the leading national tech-nical college, and it is our pleasure to provide the technical expertise and facilitation this endeavor requires.”

07MONDAY 23 NOVEMBER 2020 DOHA TODAY

Bringing together children in their favourite prince and princess costumes, this year’s Kids’ Special Screening celebrated the 70th year of Disney’s beloved animated classic Cinderella by Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, and Hamilton Luske.

Kids’ Special Screening enchants many at 8th Ajyal Film Festival

Teachers begin hands-on robotics training at CNA-Q

Special Screening with a spectacular open-air event at the new Lusail Drive-In Cinema.

IIS hosts FM-107 Fan’s Cricket Tournament 2020THE PENINSULA – DOHA

FM-107 Fan’s Cricket Tournament 2020 supported by Urdu Radio FM-107, was played at Ideal Indian School (IIS) on November, 20. Four (4) different teams, namely Young Star of RJ Mahwash, Eleven Star of RJ Nazia, Eleven Brother of RJ Obaid and New Star of RJ Samia participated in the tournament.The final match was played between Young Star and Eleven Star. Reshan Ali, captain of Young Star won the toss and elected to bat first and managed 76 runs in stipulated 5 overs for the loss of 3 wickets, while chasing the target Eleven

Star could manage only 38 runs for the loss of 5 wickets, thus losing the match by 37 runs. Habib Afrid was adjudged the man of the match for his magnificent batting. Shahzada Salim, captain of Eleven Star took the runner’s trophy.Director of FM-107, Shadab Khan distributed the trophy and medals to the winning team. On the occasion Saifur Rahman; Mahmood Ahmad; Obaid Tahir; Farzana; Samia Tayyab; Mahwash Khan; Nazia Ahmed; Ayesha; Heesham AND Faiza Jameel graced the occasion. While Ayesha Mujahid and Dr. Fauzia extended their best wishes.

THROUGH THE LENS

Sharq Park, located at the beginning of Doha Corniche near Ras Abu Aboud flyover, features naturally designed topography with small hills, valleys, a monument, commemorative special tower, an old castle and a wooden bridge connecting the small hill with the castle.The park has a number of trees like the fruitful palm, Albonsaana, Bahrain almonds and those from Qatari environment and seasonal species increasing the beauty of park. A mosque, water coolers (located within the mosque) and car parking are the other services at the park. Sharq Park attracts large number of visitors especially during the weekend due to the pleasant weather. PICS: SALIM MATRAMKOT/THE PENINSULA

08 MONDAY 23 NOVEMBER 2020VIEWS

CHAIRMANDR. KHALID BIN THANI AL THANI

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFDR. KHALID BIN MUBARAK AL-SHAFI

editorinchief@pen.com.qa

ACTING MANAGING EDITORMOHAMMED SALIM MOHAMED

m.salim@pen.com.qa

DEPUTY MANAGING EDITORMOHAMMED OSMAN ALI osman@pen.com.qa

EDITORIAL

SPORTS visitors - that includes players and team offi-cials - to Qatar are being well looked after as interna-tional sports tries to find its way back with the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the globe. This week’s feedback from Perth Glory defender Dane Ingham on his trip to the Qatari capital for the AFC Champions League, East Zone, matches seemed to be exactly what fans and players should expect during the sports events taking place in Doha.

The 21-year-old New Zealand international - who plays for AFC side Perth Glory - was candid enough to admit in a social media post on the club website that the hotel they are staying at is ‘top-notch’ and the playing surface they trained on is ‘unbelievable’. The young defender also said ‘everything is done to the top level’ giving further credence to Qatar’s bold step of stepping in and helping the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) complete the AFC Champions League - its biggest club event - that got stalled in March because of the COVID-19 situation. Ingram told his club in a video chat that all of his players ‘settled in very quickly’ without any reservations despite having to fly a long distance from Perth to Doha.

Similar sentiments were expressed by the FIBA 3x3 family that arrived for the Masters event held at Al Gharafa Sports Arena over the weekend. Ignacio Soriano, the FIBA 3×3 Head of Events and Partner-ships, was ‘delighted to see 14 teams fly’ into Qatar for the hugely popular event that is watched by mil-lions of fans around the world on TV and social media platforms. Soriano said: “We are happy to be here. We complied and we follow all the protocols and measures under the instructions of the Ministry of Public Health.

We would like to thank the Qatar Basketball Fed-eration, the Qatar Olympic Committee and all the authorities for their contribution in hosting this event. Fourteen teams from all over the world, including two from the US, have travelled to compete here. We see Qatar as a solid partner for 3x3 and our association dates back to 2013.”

Earlier this month, the Qatar Tennis and Squash Federation had successfully put together the annual Qatar Classic squad event that had players flying into Doha from all over the world for the week-long tour-nament. It has to be mentioned that Qatar’s bubble-to-bubble environment created to host top sports events merit special praise. Even in these trying cir-cumstances, Doha is doing what it has always done - bring delight into the lives of sports fans in Qatar and around the world.

Sports visitors well looked after

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Quote of the day

G20’s actions to mitigate the impact of COVID-19

had helped prevent massive bankruptcies and an

even deeper crisis, but that there was more to do.

The world is not out of the woods yet in terms of

this crisis.

Kristalina Georgieva, IMF Managing Director

Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in a video conference during the G20 Leaders’ Summit 2020, at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, on Saturday.

Leaders from the Group of 20 nations urged for greater global cooperation Saturday to ensure coronavirus vaccines reach beyond the wealthiest regions, drawing clear contrasts with the Trump administration’s break with the World Health Organ-ization.

The comments also struck at questions over whether U.S.-made vaccines would become widely available beyond commercial deals once President-elect Joe Biden takes office and pos-sibly restores ties with the WHO - even as the United States struggles with the world’s highest death toll from the coronavirus.

With leaders connecting by video link - and Saudi Arabia as the host - attention quickly turned to vaccines as promising results from U.S.-based labs Pfizer and Moderna raise hopes of addi-tional weapons soon against the pandemic, with China and Russia already planning expansion beyond trials of their vaccines.

In brief comments to the group, President Donald Trump said the United States has “marshaled every resource” against the corona-virus and noted the “record-setting speed” to develop vac-cines and other therapies, according to a White House summary of the remarks.

He made no pledges, however, on expanding the availability of U.S. vaccines.

Chinese President Xi Jinping China was “willing to strengthen cooperation” with other countries to accelerate vaccine development and distribution.

“We will fulfill our com-mitments, offer help and support to other developing countries, and work hard to make vaccines a public good that citizens of all countries can use and can afford,” Xi said. China has opened trials for several state-backed vac-cines in nations from Southeast Asia to Latin America. It also has become a leading backer of international vaccine collaborations such as

Covax, a WHO-linked effort to expand vaccine distribution in the developing world. Trump had refused to join Covax as his administration pulls away from the United Nation’s public health agency.

Pfizer and Moderna have focused on eventual domestic distribution under the Trump administration’s Operation Warp Speed program. The European Union and other wealthy allies have cut sep-arate deals for supplies of vac-cines from Moderna and Pfizer, which has teamed up with Ger-many-based BioNTech.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said his country is ready to share its vaccines for “humanitarian considerations,” warning that the pandemic is battering the global economy and raising risks of “mass, long-term unemployment and the accompanying rise in poverty and social dislocation.” “And the role of the G-20 is to ensure this doesn’t happen,” said Putin, according to the Kremlin translation of his remarks.

Turkey’s President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, told the meeting that the G-20 should endorse “affordable and fair distribution of covid-19 vaccine for everyone.” Similar messages were shared by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and South African President Cyril Ram-aphosa, who said all nations should have “equitable and affordable access” to a vaccine. Expectations remain low that the two-day summit will produce significant results in its toned-down setting for issues such as

global economic crises and climate change. Members are expected to finalize a framework for providing poorer nations with debt relief and vaccine initiatives such as Covax.

For Trump, the meetings marked another closing lap on the world stage before handing power to the Biden adminis-tration in January.After attending some of the virtual summit from the White House, Trump left to go golfing.

In his opening remarks, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman spoke to a screen of interna-tional leaders, including Trump, and highlighted the economic support G-20 members had contributed to combating the coronavirus pandemic and eco-nomic fallout.

“In the near future, we must address the vulnerabil-ities exposed by covid-19 by working to protect lives and livelihoods,” said the 84-year-old monarch.

To the king’s right was Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s de facto ruler, who has sought to reform Saudi’s economy and society alongside a years-long crackdown on dissent that has brought him increased scrutiny and criticism. Saudi Arabia had hoped for an in-person Riyadh summit, but in September announced it would be held virtually because of the coronavirus.

It was initially unclear whether Trump would attend, but he announced Friday he would. In a statement Friday, European Commission Pres-ident Ursula von der Leyen said she planned to push members

to continue to provide pan-demic-related economic support until recovery from the virus is certain.

She also expressed hope that the United States’ “new President-elect” Joe Biden will “increase multilateral cooperation” in areas such as health and climate change, noting that until now “the United States has resisted engaging,” in a rebuke of Trump’s isolationist policies.

On Friday, U.N. Secretary General António Guterres said that $28 billion remains needed to fund the manufac-turing and distribution of coronavirus vaccines. While G-20 members previously agreed to suspend debt pay-ments for the world’s poorest nations through mid-2021, he also urged them to extend relief until the year’s end so that governments could pri-oritize tackling the virus and economic fallouts.

The Group of 20 nations, who produce about 85% of global economic output, include countries with among the highest coronavirus cases, led by the United States.

Trump is one of three leaders attending the summit who have had confirmed cases of the coronavirus, along with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Brazilian Pres-ident Jair Bolsonaro.Johnson, who in April required intensive care after catching the virus, is in quarantine after recent exposure to someone who tested positive for the virus.

Miriam Berger is a staff writer reporting on foreign news for The Washington Post from Washington, D.C.

THE WASHINGTON POST

“I myself have held the hand of dying patients who are crying out for

their family that they can’t see. I’ve taken care of co-workers as they fight for their lives on a ventilator, and knowing that they got sick because the hos-pital or their government hasn’t protected them.” Those words from Minnesota nurse Mary Turner about her experiences on the front lines of the corona-virus pandemic were delivered on a day when nearly 2,000 Americans died from the virus and during the week when the United States reached the grim milestone of 250,000 people dead. She cried talking about the suffering during a con-ference call Wednesday with President-elect Joe Biden. He too seemed near tears.

More and more Americans are crying for lives lost. For

people such as Tony Stempeck, 63, a restaurateur in Reno, Nev., who was an unfailing volunteer at his daughters’ schools. Amanda Bouffioux, 44, an adminis-trative assistant in Alaska who was taking community college courses in hopes of one day owning her own business. Elvia Ramirez, just 17 and starting her senior year of high school on an Indian reservation in North Dakota. Choua Yang, 53, a Hmong refugee who fled Laos when the government fell to the communists and built a life in Minnesota as an educator helping other Hmong immi-grants. Fred Dean, 68, renowned National Football League defensive end who helped lead the San Francisco 49ers to two championships. Rebecca Cryer, 73, who sur-vived the explosion of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal

Building in Oklahoma City to continue her legal career and become a judge. Jeannette Williams-Parker, 48, the first - but tragically not the last - nurse to die in West Virginia from coronavirus complications.

In March, when the virus was still mainly limited to hot spots such as New York City, Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, pre-dicted that it might kill up to 240,000 Americans. That mark, almost unimaginable at the time, has been passed as the pandemic rages across the country.

The United States is not alone in the world in suffering the deadly health and eco-nomic effects of the pandemic, but it is almost singular in its government’s failure to mount a concerted effort to contain the virus. President Donald

Trump’s ineptitude borders on the criminal, and governors who went along with his happy talk about the virus just one day disappearing are now seeing residents in their states pay the price.

There is promising news about coronavirus vaccines, but relief remains months away at best. With 253,000 dead - and the number sure to climb - health-care profes-sionals on the front lines still don’t have the equipment they need or the cooperation from the public for whom they risk their lives. “We’re seeing the worst of the worst and these patients are dying, and you go home at the end of the night and you drive by bars and you drive by restaurants and they’re packed full and people aren’t wearing masks,” said Michelle Cavanaugh, a nurse. “I wish that I could get people to see covid through my eyes.”

Pandemic casts economic shadows on virtual G-20 summit

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Crying for lives lost due to coronavirus pandemic

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Election fever in Kuwait

09MONDAY 23 NOVEMBER 2020 MIDDLE EAST

“We see ourselves as an inseparable part

of Europe...However this does not mean

that we will bow down to overt attacks to

our country and nation, veiled injustices

and double standards,” Erdogan said in a

speech to the members of his AK Party.

Erdogan says Turkey an inseparable part of EuropeREUTERS — ISTANBUL

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said yesterday that his country, an official candidate for E u r o p e a n U n i o n membership, sees itself as an inseparable part of Europe but will not give in to attacks and double standards.

“We see ourselves as an inseparable part of Europe...However, this does not mean that we will bow down to overt attacks to our country and nation, veiled injustices and double standards,” Erdogan said in a speech to the members of his AK Party.

Turkey’s drilling activ-ities in the eastern

Mediterranean have raised tensions with the EU as Turkey locked in a dispute with and Greece and Cyprus over the extent of their continental shelves a n d h y d r o c a r b o n resources.

The EU will discuss Turkey’s pursuit of natural gas exploration in

contested waters in the eastern Mediterranean at their next summit in December, German Chan-cellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday.

“We do not believe that we have any problems with countries or institutions that cannot be solved through politics, dialogue

and negotiations,” Erdogan said.

Erdogan, connected to the event through vide-olink, said that the EU should keep its promises regarding the migrants issue and making Turkey a full member of the bloc. He was referring to a 2016 deal under which Ankara curbed migrant entries into Europe in exchange for financial help and visa-free travel in the Schengen region.

Turkey recently extended the seismic survey work being carried out by its Oruc Reis ship in a disputed part of the eastern Mediterranean until November 29, according to a naval notice.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan taking part in a video conference during the G20 Leaders’ Summit 2020, in Istanbul, Turkey, yesterday.

Iran: Dealings possible with US despite ‘crimes’AFP — TEHRAN

The “crimes” committed by the United States against Iran do not prevent “carefully considered” exchanges from taking place, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman said yesterday.

“The future of relations between Iran and the United States is not simple,” Saeed Khatibzadeh acknowledged at a press conference in Tehran, as President Hassan Rouhani’s government makes signs of apparent overtures to US pres-ident-elect Joe Biden.

“The United States has committed repeated crimes against the Iranian people,” added Khatibzadeh, citing a long list.

They included Washing-ton’s support for Baghdad during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war, the “series of sanctions” against Tehran, and the US drone strike that killed top Iranian general Qasem Sole-imani in January.

“It is natural that (between two) members of the United Nations (like the US and Iran) there have always been, and there are, very carefully con-sidered exchanges, in a known framework,” Khatibzadeh said, while noting that “does not mean that Iran is forgetting this list of crimes.”

Tehran and Washington, enemies for more than four decades, have edged to the brink of war twice since June 2019, amid tensions over Iran’s 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers, which outgoing US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from.

Biden has promised a return to diplomacy with Iran after four hawkish years under Trump. Rouhani’s government offered a cautious welcome to Biden’s victory, but Iran’s con-servatives are critical, accusing the country’s government of yielding to what they say is an “illusion” of a change by the “Great Satan” of America.

“The time has come to attack, not to compromise” with Washington, the ultra-conservative newspaper Kayhan wrote on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the US Sec-retary of State Mike Pompeo yesterday defended his tour of Gulf Arab states and the Trump administration's continued efforts to squeeze Iran, even as a new US administration led by Joe Biden prepares to enter the White House in January.

Although Pompeo has not taken questions from US-based reporters travelling with him over the past 10 days, he sat down with the Saudi-owned broadcaster Al Arabiya in Dubai for brief televised remarks yesterday.

"Our policies don’t change. Our duty doesn’t change. My responsibilities don’t change,” he said. "I still have an obli-gation—every hour, every minute—to defend the American people and to keep them foremost in our efforts, and we’ll do that. We’ll do that to the very last minute.”

In what was likely his final tour of the Gulf as secretary of state, he touted the Trump administration's Mideast strategy that focused on Iran as "the central threat inside the region” and for a maximum pressure campaign that hampered Iran's ability to support militias in Iraq, Lebanon and Syria.

"It'll be our policy until our time is complete,” he said, stopping short of saying when he'd cease work as the top US diplomat. President Donald Trump has refused to concede to Biden, despite the Trump campaign’s futile efforts to block the certification of votes in various states.

The Trump administration is attempting to ramp up pressure on Iran before Biden takes office as president. Biden has said he wants to return to rapprochement with Iran. Ana-lysts say Biden is expected to be more willing to engage the Ira-nians in order to avoid major escalation, although he’s likely to press Tehran on its missile program and not just its nuclear programme. Pompeo's tour also included stops in France, Turkey and Israel, including an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank and a museum that honors Christian Zionists.

Iran vows to

crush any Israeli

attempt to harm

its role in Syria

REUTERS — DUBAI

Iran yesterday vowed to defeat any Israeli attempt to harm its role in Syria, saying the era of “hit and run” attacks by Israel there was over, days after Israel carried out air strikes on Syrian army and Iranian paramilitary targets in the country.

Israel, which views Tehran as its biggest security threat, has repeatedly attacked Iranian targets and those of allied militia in Syria, where Tehran has backed President Bashar Al Assad and his forces against rebels and militants since 2012.

On Wednesday, an Israeli military spokesman said eight targets were attacked, including an Iranian head-quarters at Damascus inter-national airport and a “secret military site” that served as a “hosting facility for senior Iranian delegations when they come to Syria to operate”.

F o r e i g n M i n i s t r y spokesman Saeed Khateeb-zadeh told a virtual weekly news conference: “The Zionist regime (Israel) is well aware that the era of hit and run is over and therefore they are very cautious.”

Iran denies having military forces in Syria and says it has sent commandos to the country as military advisers. Tehran says it will provide military advisers to Syria for as long as necessary.

“Iran’s presence in Syria is advisory and naturally if anyone disrupts this advisory presence, our response will be a crushing one,” Khatibzadeh said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, said at least 10 people, including five Iranians from the Quds Force, a branch of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards responsible for oper-ations outside of Iran’s own borders, were killed during the attack.

“I do not confirm the mar-tyrdom of Iranian forces in Syria,” “Khatibzadeh said.

Dozens of settlers

storm Al Aqsa Mosque

QNA — OCCUPIED JERUSALEM

Dozens of Israeli settlers stormed yesterday Al Aqsa Mosque from Mughraba Gate.

The Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that extremist settler Yehuda Glick, accompanied by dozens of settlers, broke into Al Aqsa in groups and carried out provocative tours in the courtyards under the protection of the Israeli occu-pation forces.

Meanwhile, Israeli occupying forces stormed the Ein Al Sultan refugee camp north of Jericho in the West Bank, and raided the house of Fatah’s secretary-general in the camp, Yasser Abu Sharar.

Israeli forces raided Abu Sharrar’s house, searched it and destroyed its con-tents, eyewitnesses told the Palestinian news agency.

They added that clashes broke out in the camp, during which the occu-pying forces fired stun grenades and tear gas at the citizens. No injuries were reported.

Gaza health system days from being overwhelmed by COVID-19REUTERS — GAZA

A sharp rise in coronavirus infections in the Gaza Strip could overwhelm the Pales-tinian enclave’s meagre medical system by next week, public health advisers said yesterday.

Gaza, where the dense and poor population of two million is vulnerable to contagions, has logged 14,000 coronavirus cases and 65 deaths, mostly since August.

Seventy-nine of Gaza’s 100 ventilators have been taken up by COVID-19 patients, said Abdelraouf Elmanama, a microbiologist who is part of the enclave’s pandemic task force.

“In 10 days the health system will become unable to absorb such a hike in cases and there might be cases that will not find a place at intensive care units,” he said, adding that the current 0.05% mortality rate among COVID-19 patients could rise.

Gaza’s Islamist Hamas rulers have so far imposed one lockdown. A long-standing

Israeli blockade, which is sup-ported by neighbouring Egypt, has crippled the economy and undermined its public health apparatus.

Israeli cabinet minister

Izhar Shay told Army Radio. that Israel was enabling inter-national humanitarian aid to reach Gaza, adding: “This is the level that we can preserve in the coronavirus context.”

Israel strikes Hamas sites in Gaza Strip after rocket attackAP — OCCUPIED JERUSALEM

Israeli aircraft yesterday struck multiple sites in the Gaza Strip in response to a rocket fired earlier from the Palestinian territory, Israel’s military said. There were no imme-diate reports of injuries.

While several fighting groups operate out of the Palestinian enclave, Israel holds Gaza’s Hamas rulers responsible for all rocket fire out of the territory and usually strikes Hamas targets in response.

The Israeli military said in a statement that fighter jets and attack helicopters hit two rocket ammunition manufacturing sites,

underground infra-structure and a Hamas naval forces training compound.

Late on Saturday, Palestinian fighters in Gaza fired a rocket towards Israel, setting off air-raid sirens in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon, the Israeli military said.

Israeli police said the rocket caused damage to a structure in the Ashkelon area, roughly 10km north of Gaza, but there were no injuries. Israeli media said the rocket struck a factory , causing damage. Israel and Hamas are bitter enemies who have fought three wars and numerous skirmishes since Hamas seized power in Gaza in 2007.

Billboards featuring pictures of candidates running for Kuwait’s parliamentary elections are seen on a street in Kuwait city, yesterday. General elections are due to be held on December 5.

AGENCIES — TEHRAN

Iran recorded 13,053 new cases of coronavirus and 475 related deaths over the past 24 hours, the health ministry said yesterday.

That took the total death toll to 44,802 and the tally of cases to 854,361 in the Middle East’s worst-hit state.

On Saturday, Iran introduced tougher restrictions for two weeks to stem a third wave of coronavirus infections, including closing non-essential businesses and travel curbs. Some Iranian authorities have warned that daily coronavirus deaths could reach 1,200 if the nation failed to respect health protocols, including mask-wearing and social distancing.

The Kuwaiti Ministry of Health reported 322 new cases of Coronavirus in the past 24 hours, bringing the total of con-firmed cases in the country to 140,056. During the same period, three deaths have been recorded, bringing the total number of deaths in Kuwait to 866 cases so far.

The Omani Ministry of Health announced yesterday that the total of reported cases of Coronavirus in the Sultanate reached 122,081. The total number of deaths reached 1,380, the Ministry said.

Iran reports 13,053 new virus cases, 475 deaths

Palestinian men inspecting the damage at the site of an Israeli air strike in Khan Yunis town in the southern Gaza Strip, yesterday.

10 MONDAY 23 NOVEMBER 2020MIDDLE EAST / AFRICA

In Lebanon, military courtstarget anti-govt protestersAP — BEIRUT

Khaldoun Jaber was taking part in an anti-government protest near the presidential palace outside Beirut last November when several Lebanese intelli-gence officers in plainclothes approached and forcibly took him away.

The demonstration was part of a wave of protests sweeping Lebanon against corruption and misrule by a group of politicians who have monopolised power since the country’s civil war ended three decades ago.

Jaber didn’t know it then, but Lebanese security forces targeted him because of his social media posts criticising President Michel Aoun. What followed were 48 harrowing hours of detention during which security officers

interrogated him and subjected him to physical abuse, before letting him go.

“I was beaten, harmed psy-chologically and morally,” Jaber said. “Three of my teeth were broken and I lost 70% of my hearing in my left ear.” “I am still traumatised,” he added.

A year after mass protests roiled Lebanon, dozens of pro-testers are being tried before military courts, proceedings that human rights lawyers say grossly violate due process and fail to investigate allegations of torture and abuse.

Defendants tried before the military tribunal say the system is used to intimidate protesters and prop up Lebanon’s sec-tarian rulers.

Around 90 civilians have been referred to the military

justice system so far, according to Legal Agenda, a human rights group based in Beirut. “We expect many more people to be prose-cuted,” said Ghida Frangieh, a lawyer with the group.

The trials underscore the growing perils of activism in Lebanon, where a string of court cases and judicial investigations against journalists and critics has eroded the country’s reputation for free speech and tolerance.

Frangieh said that security forces arrested around 1,200 people from the beginning of the anti-government uprising in October 2019 through the end of June. Lebanese author-ities have prosecuted around 200 of them, including those referred to the military judi-ciary, the monitoring group has found.

A view of a partially-completed 300-sq metre Lebanese national flag made up from plastic bottles, caps, and empty bullet cartridge set up by environmental activists at an open-air restaurant and wedding venue in the town of Bnachii in northern Lebanon, as the country celebrates 77th independence day yesterday.

Polls open in Burkina Faso amid oppn warning of fraudAFP — OUAGADOUGOU

Burkina Faso voted yesterday in a general election in the shadow of a growing insur-gency, and with opposition candidates warning of a “massive fraud” at the polls.

President Roch Marc Christian Kabore is expected to win re-election, his supporters talking up his chances of an out-right victory in the first round of voting.

But no votes in the presi-dential and parliamentary polls will be cast in one-fifth of the country, where large swathes of territory remain outside the state’s control and militant attacks strike almost daily.

The violence has forced one million people — five percent of the 20 million population — from their homes in the last two years and at least 1,200 have been killed since 2015.

The security crisis has dom-inated the campaign and an undisclosed number of troops have been deployed for polling day in the landlocked West African country, one of the world’s poorest.

“I hope for a lot of good things for the country: first a president who will be up to the security situation and also dep-uties who will vote for laws to bring us development,” said Ouagadougou resident Christian Koula after voting in the capital.

Most of the 12 opposition candidates running against Kabore have criticised the incumbent’s failure to stem the bloodshed. Yesterday morning, after voting in his district of Ouagadougou, Kabore rejected any accusations of fraud at the

ballot box. “Controversies are for another day. Now we vote,” he said.

But political scientist Drissa Traore said Kabore remains “the big favourite against an opposition which has not managed to unite behind a

single candidate”. Kabore’s two main chal-

lengers are 2015 runner-up, veteran opposition leader Zephirin Diabre, and Eddie Komboigo, standing for the party of former president Blaise Compaore. Compaore, who was ousted by a popular uprising in 2014 after 27 years in power, is now in exile but some voters are nostalgic for his regime.

Diabre told reporters on Saturday that “there is a huge operation orchestrated by those in power to carry out a massive fraud” so as to give Kabore a first-round victory.

“We will not accept results marred by irregularity,” added Diabre, surrounded at a press conference by five of the other 11 opposition candidates, including Komboigo.

The head of the president’s party, Simon Compaore, rejected Diabre’s “allegations”. Kabore did not need “any kind of fraud to the win the elec-tions”, he said. Kabore can avoid a run-off by winning more than 50 percent of the vote in Sunday’s first round — as he did in the last election in 2015.

People queue to vote at a polling station in Ouagadougou, during Burkina Faso’s presidential and legislative elections, yesterday.

Ethiopia warns civilians of ‘nomercy’ in Tigray offensiveREUTERS & AFP — ADDIS ABABA

Ethiopian forces have taken the town of Idaga Hamus, 97km from the rebel-held Tigray capital Mekelle, a government taskforce said yesterday.

“Our defence force took control of Idaga Hamus town which is located on the road from Adigrat to Mekelle. The Defence force is advancing to capture Mekelle, which is the final goal of the operation,” the taskforce said in a tweet.

Reuters could not verify the latest statement. Claims by all sides are hard to verify because phone and internet communi-cation has been down since fighting began on November 4.

Ethiopia’s military yes-terday threatened an all-out assault on Mekele, capital of the dissident Tigray region and seat of the local government it is seeking to dislodge, warning civilians to flee while they still can.

“The next decisive battle is to surround Mekele with tanks,” Dejene Tsegaye, a military spokesman, told state broad-casters on Sunday, threatening a siege of the city.

He added a warning for Mekele’s half a million resi-dents: “Save yourself. A directive has been communi-cated for you to dissociate yourself from this junta, after that there will be no mercy.”

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed -- last year’s Nobel Peace Prize winner -- launched a military campaign against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) on November 4, accusing its forces of attacking two federal military camps in the region and the party of defying his government and seeking to destabilise it.

A communications blackout

in the region has made claims from both sides in the conflict difficult to verify, but hundreds of people are reported to have been killed while tens of thou-sands have fled the fighting into neighbouring Sudan.

Abiy’s government has claimed the capture of a string of towns in recent days, including the ancient city of Aksum and the town of Edega Hamus, 100 kilometres (60 miles) north of Mekele.

“Defence forces have con-trolled Edaga Hamus city, which is on the road from Adigrat to Mekele,” the Ethiopia State of Emergency Fact Check, a government agency, said Sunday. “The defence force are currently marching on the cam-paign’s last goal, Mekele city.”

The TPLF claimed Saturday that civilians had been killed during a “heavy bombardment” of Adigrat town by the Ethi-opian Defence Forces (EDF). The government insists it does not target civilians.

The TPLF led the overthrow of Mengistu Hailemariam, head of Ethiopia’s military Derg regime, in 1991 and dominated the country’s politics until Abiy became prime minister in 2018.

The party continues to rule Tigray, one of 10 regional states under Ethiopia’s system of ethnic federalism whereby regions are delineated by eth-nicity and language.

TPLF leaders have com-plained of being sidelined by

Abiy and blamed for the coun-try’s woes. The bitter feud with the central government led the TPLF to hold their own elec-tions this year in defiance of a national postponement due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Abiy has spurned all calls for peace, including from the African Union -- which plans to send three former national presidents as special envoys in the coming days -- the US and the UN which has warned of a looming humanitarian disaster.

His government regards the TPLF as a criminal adminis-tration and appears intent on winning the military battle rather than negotiating.

Military action has already spread beyond Tigray’s borders with the TPLF firing rockets at Asmara, the capital of neigh-bouring Eritrea to the north, which it accuses of supporting the Ethiopian government, and the city of Bahir Dar to the southwest. The campaign has seen warplanes bombing Tigray and heavy fighting, while Amnesty International has doc-umented a gruesome massacre in which “scores, and likely hun-dreds, of people were stabbed or hacked to death” in the south-western town of Mai-Kadra.

The UN has called for the opening of humanitarian cor-ridors to allow aid agencies access, and has said it is pre-paring for as many as 200,000 refugees to flee unrest in the coming months.

Three days of mourning in Iraqprovince after IS attack kills 10AFP — SAMARRA, IRAQ

The Islamic State (IS) group yesterday claimed an Iraq attack that killed 10 people the previous night and which fuelled criticism the state is doing too little to fight the extremists.

Salahaddin province north of Baghdad, the site of the bloodshed, declared three days of mourning. The attackers first hit a civilian car with a roadside bomb late on Saturday near Mt. Makhoul, 200km north of the capital, police said. When security forces arrived, the gunmen opened fire, killing at least six security personnel and four civilians, including one who died of his wounds over-night, said local medics.

The latest violence heightened fears the gov-ernment is doing too little to fight Islamist militants whose cells keep carrying out hit-and-

run attacks.Baghdad in 2017 declared

IS defeated after three years of brutal fighting, wrenching back the one-third of Iraqi territory that had been captured by the ultra-conservative armed group that also controlled swathes of Syria.

But although the militants no longer hold their self-declared “caliphate”, IS sleeper cells still wage attacks on state infrastructure, particularly in desert areas north of Baghdad.

Two weeks ago, an IS attack killed 11 people at Al Rad-waniyah on Baghdad’s mainly Sunni Muslim outskirts.

The militant group has claimed more attacks in Iraq than in any other country between December 2018 and May this year, says the Interna-tional Centre for Counter-Ter-rorism in The Hague.

IS activity in Iraq “accel-erated precipitously” from

February this year to levels “worryingly close” to those before its 2014 takeover, the centre said in a new study this month.

Although deaths have remained comparatively low, the study noted, the IS in Iraq appears to be moving into a phase “characterised by brazen guerrilla-style attacks”.

Iraq’s security forces under Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhemi have been waging a new campaign to arrest mili-tants hiding out in rugged terrain in the country’s north and west.

The security forces have publicly claimed success. Just a day before the latest attack, federal police chief Jaafar Al Batat told state media that the Mt. Makhoul area had been cleared following some “iso-lated cases” linked to the IS -- a comment that has outraged local figures.

Formation of Sudan transitionalparliament pushed to December

AFP — KHARTOUM

The formation of Sudan’s transitional parliament, a key element of a power-sharing deal between the military and protesters after the ouster of strongman Omar Al Bashir, has been pushed back to December.

The Forces for Freedom and Change umbrella protest group said further consultations were needed after Sudan’s transitional government signed a landmark October peace deal with rebels.

In a statement late last week, the FFC said efforts to ensure “national consensus” were still underway to establish the legislature. Its formation had been due within 90 days of a power-sharing deal signed on August 17 between the FFC and military generals who seized power following Bashir’s ouster in April last year.

The deal stipulated that the legislature should include no more than 300 members, 40 percent of them women, with the FFC obtaining 201 seats and the rest going to other factions.

But in November, an FFC leader suggested that the group should hold 165 seats in the transitional parliament, with 75 going to the Sudan Revolutionary Front rebel alliance and the rest to other groups.

Several organisations, including the powerful Sudanese Pro-fessionals Association (SPA) trade union alliance that spearheaded the protests against Bashir, rejected the proposal.

“In order to take into consideration the views of the Sudan Revolutionary Front and to engage in a broad dialogue on the dis-tribution of seats with (all) factions, it has been decided to push back the formation of the assembly until December 31,” the FFC said in its statement last week.

Nigerian soldiers

admit they were

given live bullets

during protest

AP — LAGOS

The Nigerian Army has admitted for the first time that soldiers were given live bullets when they went to disperse a large crowd at the Lekki Toll Plaza in Lagos, where several peaceful protesters were killed in late October.

The deadly October 20 shootings at the plaza caused both local and international outrage. At least 10 people protesting police brutality were killed in the Lekki Plaza shooting, according to Amnesty International, which charged that army troops opened fire on protesters without provocation. The gov-ernment said two people died and 20 were hospitalized.

Brig. Gen. Ahmed Taiwo, Commander of the 81 Military Intelligence Brigade, told a judicial committee on Sat-urday that the soldiers indeed carried live bullets.

“The soldiers, they were given both live and blank bullets. In this particular case, we saw that these protests had been infiltrated by some hoodlums,” he said, adding that the live bullets were for a backup. Last weekend he tes-tified that blank ammunition was fired upward to scare “hoodlums from the crowd,” but insisted that soldiers did not fire at protesters.

The crowd of mainly young Nigerians were singing the country’s national anthem and waving its flags as they peacefully protested against police brutality under the hashtag #EndSARS.

The army had initially maintained that its troops were not at the site of the shooting, but later admitted they were deployed.

A judicial panel has begun investigating the shooting. The panel is also investigating alle-gations of abuse against the police unit, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, known as SARS. There are calls for the Interna-tional Criminal Court to carry out an inquiry into the protest deaths, the latest a petition signed by 154 organizations.

Ethiopia’s military yesterday threatened an all-out assault on Mekele, capital of the dissident Tigray region and seat of the local government it is seeking to dislodge, warning civilians to flee while they still can.

11MONDAY 23 NOVEMBER 2020 ASIA

Less than 50,000 new cases in India for 15 daysIANS — NEW DELHI

India reported less than 50,000 new single-day coronavirus cases for the 15th consecutive day yesterday as its total tally reached 90,95,806.

With 45,209 new cases and 43,493 more patients dis-charged in last 24 hours, the country’s active cases totalled 440,962, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare data said. As many as 8,521,617 persons have recovered so far from the disease.

In all 501 more fatalities in the last 24 hours took its death toll to 1,33,227.

The last time the daily new cases crossed the 50,000-mark was November 7.

While India’s recovery rate is 93.69 percent, the fatality rate is 1.46 percent, the data said.

Maharashtra remains the worst-hit state with 80,878 active cases and 46,573 deaths so far. The recoveries in the state total 16,47,004.

Andhra Pradesh and Kar-nataka also reported high number of cases, while states like Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal witnessed a surge in infection too.

For the second day in a row, recovered patients outnumbered new infections by 1,084 in Delhi, yet the number of fatalities remained a cause of worry.

Meanwhile, a house-to-house COVID-19 survey in Delhi screened more that 370,000 city residents on the first day in order to find out the real picture vis-a-vis the prevalence of the deadly disease, official sources said yesterday.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said that 3,70,729 persons were surveyed on Sat-urday during the screening, which will conclude on November 25.

The screening exercise involving coordination between the MHA and Delhi Government was undertaken to check people for signs of flu such as fever, sore throat, cough and to seek their travel history.

The aim is to identify people with coronavirus-l ike symptoms, and create a com-prehensive database and then get them tested.

The plan for the survey was taken was in a high-level meeting on November 15 between Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Delhi Chief Min-ister Arvind Kejriwal with offi-cials concerned in the wake of increasing COVID-19 cases in the national capital.

District officials have roped in civil defence volunteers, accredited social health activists (Asha), auxiliary nurse midwife workers, booth-level officials and municipal staff, including licensing inspectors and sani-tation workers — apart from the government health workers who have experience on the job — in the survey.

After the November 15 meeting, the ICMR increased RT-PCR testing capacity from 27,000 tests per day to 37,200 on Shah’s directions. A total of 30,735 RT-PCR samples were collected in Delhi on November 19 compared with 12,055 RT-PCR samples on November 15.

Shah had said that the ICMR and the Delhi government must work together to increase the RT-PCR testing capacity to 6 0 , 0 0 0 t e s t s b y November-end.

COVID-19 cases in Delhi

started to rise after October 20. In the week ending November 14, Delhi recorded previously unseen levels of new cases, as daily fatalities hovered close to 100 a day.

Following the inputs from Delhi, the Home Minister had reviewed the situation in the wake of spike in COVID-19 cases, assuring to provide 750

more ICU beds to Delhi and many more steps to fight the pandemic.

Delhi has reported 5,23,117 coronavirus cases so far, including 4,68,143 recoveries and 8,270 deaths. As per the latest 24-hour data, 5,879 more corona patients were detected in Delhi.

Across the world,

5,80,95,887 persons were infected across 191 nations, of which the maximum numbers were in the US. The global coro-navirus death toll totalled 13,79,839, with maximum reported in the US (2,55,830).

TUS remains the worst-hit country with 1,20,88,409 corona cases, followed by India, Brazil, France and Russia.

A policeman fines a commuter for not wearing face mask as a preventive measure against the coronavirus, while travelling in car in New Delhi, yesterday.

Shark attack

kills man in

Western

Australian state

AP — SYDNEY

A man died yesterday after being attacked by a shark in Western Australia state, the eighth fatality in the country this year.

Police were called to Cable Beach, a popular tourist spot on Australia’s Indian Ocean coast, at about 8.40am. The 55-year-old man was pulled from the water with serious injuries and treated by police before paramedics arrived. He died at the scene, police said.

Police said later that they shot at the shark, which lin-gered close to the shore, for almost half an hour after the attack. The species of the shark was not immediately con-firmed, but locals told reporters it may have been a tiger shark, which are some-times drawn close to the shore by shoals of small fish.

Kimberley District Office Police Inspector Gene Pears told reporters that the victim had been body boarding about 30 to 40 metres from the beach when he was attacked. A couple on the beach saw thrashing in the water and rushed to drag the man to safety. The man suffered injuries to his leg and hand.

“It’s a tragic incident, very unexpected, a person going out to have a bit of fun in the water,” Pears said. Park rangers immediately closed the beach and a fisheries vessel was assigned to patrol the area.

Azerbaijanis who fled war in 1990s eye return homeAP — BAKU

As Azerbaijan regains control of land it lost to Armenian forces a quarter-century ago, civilians who fled the fighting decades ago wonder if they can go back home now - and if there’s still a home to go back to.

An estimated 600,000 Azerbaijanis were displaced in the 1990s war that left the Nagorno-Karabakh region under the control of ethnic Armenian separatists and large adjacent territories in Armenia’s hands.

During six weeks of renewed fighting this fall that ended November 10, Azerbaijan took back parts of Nagorno-Karabakh itself and sizeable swaths of the outlying areas.

More territory is being returned as part of the ceasefire agreement that stopped the latest fighting. But as

Azerbaijani forces discovered when the first area, Aghdam, was turned over on Friday, much of the recovered land is uninhabitable. The city of Aghdam, where 50,000 people once lived, is now a shattered ruin.

Adil Sharifov, 62, who left his hometown in 1992 during the first war and lives in Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku, knows he will find similar dev-astation if he returns to the city of Jabrayil, which he longs to do.

Jabrayil is one of the out-lying areas regained by Azerba-ijani troops before the recent fighting ended. Soon after it was taken, one of Sharifov’s cousins went there and told him the city was destroyed, including the large house with an orchard where Sharifov’s family once lived.

Nonetheless, “the day when I return there will be the

greatest happiness for me,” he said.

For years, he said, his family had followed reports about Jabrayil on the Internet. They knew the destruction was ter-rible, but Sharifov’s late mother retained a desperate hope that their house had been spared and held on to the keys.

“I will build an even better house,” he vowed.

Ulviya Jumayeva, 50, can go back to better, though not ideal circumstances in her native Shusha, a city that Azerbaijani forces took in the key offensive of the six-week war.

Her younger brother, Nasimi, took part in the battle and phoned to tell her the apartment their family fled in 1992 was intact, though mostly stripped of the family’s possessions.

“According to him, it is clear that Armenians lived there after us, and then they took

everything away. But our large mirror in the hallway, which we loved to look at as children, remains,” Jumayeva said, adding: “Maybe my grand-children will look in this mirror.”

“We all have houses in Baku, but everyone considered them to be not permanent, because all these years we lived in the hope that we would return to Shusha,” she said. “Our hearts, our thoughts have always been in our hometown.” But she acknowledged that her feelings toward Armenians have become more bitter.

“My school friends were mostly Armenian. I never treated ordinary Armenians badly, believing that their criminal leaders who unleashed the war were to blame for the massacre, war, and grief that they brought to their people as well,” Jumayeva said.

"But after the current

events, after the shelling of peaceful cities... after the Arme-nians who are now leaving our territories, which are even outside of Karabakh, burn down the houses of Azerbaijanis in which they lived illegally... something fractured in me. I changed my attitude toward them,” she said. “I understood that we, Azerbaijanis, will not be able to live peacefully next to the Armenians.”

While Sharifov has less to go back to, he has a more mod-erate view, saying the two ethnic groups with different religious traditions still have the potential to live together amicably.

“If the Armenians observe the laws of Azerbaijan, and do not behave like bearded men who came to kill, then we will live in peace,” he said. “The time to shoot is over. Enough casu-alties. We want peace, we do not want war.

People walk past a cafe after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased for the state of Victoria, in Melbourne, Australia, yesterday.

Australia eases curbs in regionsas no new infections reportedREUTERS — MELBOURNE

Australia moved a step closer to normal life yesterday, opening some internal borders and easing restrictions in regions affected by COVID-19, as the vast majority of the country has seen no new community infec-tions or deaths for weeks.

South Australia, which last week became the epicentre of the country’s infections, reported no new community cases and lifted a drastic lockdown earlier than planned, with the state premier saying swift action had avoided disaster.

The number of active cases

in the state stood at 37 after an outbreak linked to a returned traveller from Britain forced 4,500 people to quarantine.

“We have avoided a cata-strophic situation in our state by following the unequivocal health advice,” Premier Steven Marshall told a news briefing.

Neighbouring Victoria, which for months fought the pandemic and where 90 percent of Australia’s 907 coronavirus-related deaths have been recorded, relaxed its mask rules yesterday, saying they are not required outside, and allowed larger public gatherings.

The state, home to about

6.4 million people, has had no new infections for 23 days, a victory that came after a 111-day lockdown that kept people at home and most businesses shut.

New South Wales, the most populous state, reported no new community cases yes-terday for a 15th straight day. The state will open its border with Victoria today.

There were 12 new cases reported across Australia among travellers in hotel quarantine. The country, which closed its external borders early, limits international arrivals and requires a two-week hotel quar-antine for arriving travellers.

South Korea weighs tighter

curbs as virus cases riseREUTERS — SEOUL

South Korea will consider preemptively tightening some social distancing rules in Seoul and surrounding areas, its prime minister said yesterday, as the country reported more than 300 new coro-navirus cases for a fifth straight day.

Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun told a government meeting that officials would be discussing whether to enforce tougher dis-tancing regulations for the Seoul area as well as the southwestern region of the country, Yonhap news agency reported.

Under the country’s coronavirus guidelines, the level of restriction is determined by certain benchmarks, such as a sig-nificant increase in a short time, or when the daily national tally exceeds 300 for more than a week.

But Chung said the government is reviewing whether to move some areas to a higher level of social distancing before the country sees a full week of more than 300 cases per day.

“We’re at a critical juncture of facing a large number of infec-tions nationwide,” Chung said.

Taiwan mum on detailsof US official’s visitREUTERS — TAIPEI

A US official has arrived in Taiwan, the island’s foreign ministry said yesterday, adding that it could not provide details as the trip has not been made public, though it did deny a media report that the CIA chief was in town.

China, which claims democratically-run Taiwan as its own ter-ritory, reacted with fury when the US Health Secretary Alex Azar came to Taipei in August, followed by US Undersecretary of State Keith Krach in September, sending fighter jets near the island each time.

The Trump administration has ramped up support for Taiwan, including with new arms sales, alarming China.

Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry said there were frequent interac-tions with the United States and that “we welcome the visit of the US official”.

“But as this itinerary has not been made public, based on mutual trust between Taiwan and the United States, the Foreign Ministry has no further explanation or comment,” it added.

However, it said in a separate statement that Taiwan media reports a delegation lead by CIA chief Gina Haspel had arrived in Taiwan were untrue, and that Haspel had no plans to come.

The de facto US embassy in Taipei declined to comment.

Nepal seeks early

availability

of vaccines

IANS — KATHMANDU

The Nepali government has sent requests to several coun-tries that are producing COVID-19 vaccines seeking their early availability, officials said here yesterday.

The requests were made after the Nepali government introduced an ordinance last week, paving the way for bringing the vaccines for emer-gency use, reports Xinhua news agency.

“We have sent requests to the countries including China, India, the US, the UK, Russia and Australia for early avail-ability of vaccines,” Jageshwor Gautam, spokesperson at the Ministry of Health and Popu-lation said.

The letters were sent through our foreign ministry. It has been three days that we sent the requests,” Gautam said.

With 45,209 new cases and 43,493 more patients discharged in last 24 hours, the country’s active cases totalled 440,962, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare data said. As many as 8,521,617 people have recovered so far from the disease.

12 MONDAY 23 NOVEMBER 2020ASIA

Afghanistan faces fundingcuts at Geneva conferenceREUTERS — KABUL

Afghanistan faces funding cuts and tighter restrictions on vital aid from an international donor conference this week, marking further challenges for a nation torn by two decades of war and now ravaged by COVID-19.

Ministers from about 70 countries and officials of humanitarian organisations, at the virtual conference hosted in Geneva today and tomorrow, are expected to pledge billions of dollars to safeguard devel-opment projects, with talks between the Afghan gov-ernment and Taliban rebels stalled and President Trump sharply reducing US forces in the country.

Although the fragile economy depends heavily on foreign aid, Kabul will see cuts in donations, and donors will introduce stringent political and human rights conditions on the money, five participants said.

Afghanistan’s economy is set to contract by at least 5.5 percent this year because of COVID-19 impacts, stated the World Bank in a recent report.

The strategy aims to protect the peace talks and prod the Afghan government to improve allocation, they said.

Donors at the last con-ference, in Brussels in 2016, pledged $15.2bn for 2017 to 2020, or $3.8bn a year.

That could be cut by 15 percent to 20 percent, said a

senior Western diplomat par-ticipating in the conference. “This is the best countries can offer amid the domestic chal-lenge of managing a pandemic.”

Trump will cut US forces in Afghanistan to 2,500 from 4,500 by mid-January, the Pen-tagon said last week, seeking to wind down America’s longest war. The drawdown of foreign forces — Britain plans to follow the US lead — could mean greater influence for the Taliban.

This makes donors uneasy over whether the hardline Islamists will try to roll back progress on human rights and girls’ education.

The peace talks in Doha have stalled and the Taliban refuses to call a ceasefire. Its attacks have sometimes

prompted US airstrikes to protect urban areas.

But senior diplomats told Reuters that a breakthrough was expected in the peace talks after the donor conference.

“Taliban and Afghan gov-ernment representatives will take a break from the peace talks after the Geneva con-ference but not before they have joint declaration of agreement over key security issues,” said a senior Western official.

At the Geneva meeting, the government of Afghan Pres-ident Ashraf Ghani will present a peace and development framework meant to allocate funds to key projects, safeguard millions of jobs and protect democratic institutions.

“The conference will remain focused on making Afghanistan self-reliant by the end of its transformation decade which is 2024,” Naser Sidiqee, a senior official of the Afghan finance ministry, said in Geneva last week.

The Taliban is not invited to the conference but the militants have urged donors to continue their humanitarian assistance while accusing Ghani’s gov-ernment of pocketing the aid money.

“We request the interna-tional community and organi-sations to deliver aid, collected in the name of the people, to the people,” the Islamist group said in a statement.

Opposition rally in Peshawar

Activists and supporters of Pakistan Democratic Movement, an opposition alliance of 11 parties, gather during a political rally in Peshawar, yesterday.

Afghan V-P

pledges to

track down

Kabul attackers

AFP — KABUL

Afghan Vice-President Amrullah Saleh vowed yesterday to track down those responsible for a rocket attack on the capital that killed at least 10 people, even as the Islamic State group claimed to have fired the salvo.

The rockets struck several densely populated districts of Kabul Saturday — including in and around the heavily for-tified Green Zone that houses embassies and foreign firms.

“We will find out the net-works who facilitated in trans-porting the materials (rockets) used in the attack,” Saleh said on his Facebook page after a meeting with security officials.

Saleh said the attack left 10 people dead and another 51 wounded. Several buildings were damaged, including the Iranian embassy and a medical complex.

Although the attack was claimed by IS, officials blamed the Taliban. They have denied involvement.

It was the third attack in the capital claimed by IS in less than a month.

Alarm as Karachi hospitals occupied with virus patientsINTERNEWS — KARACHI

An alarming situation is devel-oping in Karachi where half of the beds at the city’s public and private hospitals’ coronavirus wards have now been occupied with ‘serious patients’ of the infection, it was reported yesterday.

At least five leading public and private hospitals in the metropolis are denying admission to patients after becoming saturated by corona-virus cases.

The hospitals are directing them to other places. Cases of the infection are surging across the province, as 17 more people succumbed to coronavirus and another 1,199 cases tested pos-itive in a single day on Saturday.

However, the coronavirus death toll has climbed up to 2,816 across the province.

Out of the 500 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds in Karachi, around 260 are filled with COVID-19, according to officials associated with COVID-19 man-agement in Sindh.

They added that in some of the leading public and private health facilities, all the ICU, High Dependency Unit (HDU), and ward beds had become full of patients and they are directing them to other health facilities.

“Indus Hospital Karachi, Aga Khan University Hospital, Ziauddin Hospital, Liaquat National Hospital, and Sindh Institute of Urology and Trans-plantation have become over-whelmed with COVID-19 patients,” said Professor Dr. Abdul Bari Khan, a member of Sindh Chief Minister’s COVID-19 Task Force.

According to official figures, there were around 13,886 active

COVID-19 cases in the province till Saturday morning, of whom 13,333 were at home isolation while 544 patients were admitted to different health facilities. Of them, the condition of 477 was serious while 62 were on life support.

Khan, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of the Indus Health Network (IHN), main-tained that COVID-19 positivity had increased five-fold in the province, from two percent to above 10 percent which means that of the 10,000 or above tests being conducted daily, over 1000 people were infected with Coronavirus, especially in Karachi and Hyderabad.

“Fortunately, 90 percent of the infected people remain uninfected but the remaining 10 per cent are coming with serious health conditions.” Although during this second wave, most of the people are

getting treatment at home through telemedicine, using oxygen, and supportive treatment but still the number of seriously sick is on the rise, and now up to 50 percent of the beds at the city’s hospitals are occupied with serious patients,” he added.

He further said that space was still available at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (JPMC), Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK), Lyari General Hospital (LGH), Sindh Services Hospital, and Dow varsity’s Ojha campus, Infectious Diseases Hospital at NIPA Chowrangi, and some other private hospitals but regretted that after getting refused from the five public and private sector leading hospitals’, these facilities were now under tremendous pressure.

Sindh health department officials said their biggest worry was the spread of COVID-19

among healthcare providers, especially those serving at the public health facilities as they were already facing a shortage of trained and qualified staff while very few volunteers are working at the COVID-19 wards, ICUs, and HDUs at the public health facilities.

“So far around 100 healthcare providers including 67 doctors have lost their lives in the country. The most affected province is Sindh where we have lost around 40 healthcare providers due to complications of Coronavirus infection,” an official of the Sindh health department said.

“We need specialised healthcare providers to deal with very sick COVID-19 patients. If most of the trained and qualified staff contracts the disease and are unable to work, it could be a terrible scenario for us,” the official added.

China moon probe seeks to retrieve lunar rocksREUTERS — BEIJING

China plans to launch an unmanned spacecraft to the moon this week to bring back lunar rocks in the first attempt by any nation to retrieve samples from Earth’s natural satellite since the 1970s.

The Chang’e-5 probe, named after the ancient Chinese goddess of the moon, will seek to collect material that can help scientists understand more about the moon’s origins and formation. The mission will test China’s ability to remotely acquire samples from space, ahead of more complex missions.

If successful, the mission will make China only the third country to have retrieved lunar samples, following the United States and the Soviet Union decades ago.

Since the Soviet Union crash-landed the Luna 2 on the moon in 1959, the first human-made object to reach another celestial body, a handful of other countries including Japan and India have launched moon missions.

In the Apollo programme, which first put men on the moon, the United States landed 12 astronauts over six flights from 1969 to 1972, bringing back 382kg of rocks and soil.

The Soviet Union deployed three successful robotic sample return missions in the 1970s. The last, the Luna 24, retrieved 170.1 grams of samples in 1976

from Mare Crisium, or “Sea of Crises”.

China’s probe, scheduled to launch in coming days, will attempt to collect 2kg of samples in a previously unvisited area in a massive lava plain known as Oceanus Pro-cellarum, or “Ocean of Storms”.

“The Apollo-Luna sample zone of the moon, while critical to our understanding, was undertaken in an area that comprises far less than half the lunar surface,” said James Head, a planetary scientist at

Brown University.Subsequent data from

orbital remote sensing missions have shown a wider diversity of rock types, mineralogies and ages than represented in the Apollo-Luna sample collections, he said.

“Lunar scientists have been advocating for robotic sample return missions to these many different critical areas in order to address a host of funda-mental questions remaining from earlier exploration,” Head said.

The Chang’e-5 mission may help answer questions such as how long the moon remained volcanically active in its interior and when its magnetic field - key to protecting any form of life from the sun’s radiation - dissipated.

Once in the moon’s orbit, the probe will aim to deploy a pair of vehicles to the surface: a lander will drill into the ground, then transfer its soil and rock samples to an ascender that will lift off and dock with an orbiting module.

People stand in front of a scaled model of the Challenger space shuttle at a space science museum in Wenchang, Hainan province, China, yesterday.

Pakistani Olympian

and politician Anwar

Aziz passes away

INTERNEWS — LAHORE

Pakistan’s legendary poli-tician, intellectual, Olympian and modern farmer Anwar Aziz Chaudhry passed away in Lahore yesterday, family sources confirmed.

He died of cardiac arrest and he was 89 years old.

Chaudhry, father of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Danial Aziz, has served as federal minister of railway & law and defence.

Chaudhry was a seasoned politician and was known as the father of politics in Pun-jab’s Narowal district.

Chaudhry completed his master’s in law in the United States in the 1950s. Following his education in the United States, he returned to Pakistan and joined politics. He was part of the kitchen cabinet of the then Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.

Chaudhry was the only politician who suggested Bhutto stop confrontation with the opposition, which was not accepted and finally Bhutto lost his government, was arrested and later hanged.

He was also Pakistan’s national swimmer and has also represented Pakistan in three events at the 1948 Olympics.

He would be remembered as a great humanitarian and statesman.

Mainland China

reports 17

new virus

infections

REUTERS — BEIJING

Mainland China reported 17 new COVID-19 cases on November 21, up from 16 the previous day, with three cases of local transmission and nine cases originating overseas, the National Health Commission said yesterday.

The Commission said in its daily bulletin that two of the local transmissions took place in Inner Mongolia and one in Shanghai.

Inner Mongolia’s health authority said on Saturday it had confirmed two new coro-navirus cases in Hulunbuir city on the Chinese border with Russia.

The positive case in Shanghai was found after mass testing following infections of a security inspector at Pudong International Airport and his wife.

Pakistan Minister deletes anti-French tweetREUTERS — PARIS

A Pakistani minister yesterday withdrew comments she made earlier that President Emmanuel Macron was treating Muslims like Nazis had treated Jews in the Second World War.

France’s foreign minister had demanded Pakistan authorities withdraw the com-ments posted on Twitter by Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari.

She posted the remarks fol-lowing a clash between Pakistan and France over the publication of images of the

Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) by a French magazine.

In a follow-up tweet yes-erday, Mazari initially doubled down on her claims following a condemnation by France’s foreign ministry late on Sat-urday, which described them as “blatant lies, imbued with an ideology of hatred and violence.”

Later yesterday, however, Mazari tweeted: “The article I had cited has been corrected by the relevant publication, I have also deleted my tweet on the same.” She said she had been

alerted to the correction by the French ambassador to Pakistan.

Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian had told RTL radio the comments were unacceptable and should be withdrawn from Twitter, but said he was remaining prudent because some media had been taken advantage of and had since clarified their articles.

Pakistan’s parliament at the end of October passed a resolution urging the gov-ernment to recall its envoy from Paris, accusing Macron of “hate-mongering” against Muslims.

At the Geneva meeting, the government of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani will present a peace and development framework meant to allocate funds to key projects, safeguard millions of jobs and protect democratic institutions.

13MONDAY 23 NOVEMBER 2020 EUROPE

PM Boris Johnson will

present the new plan in

the House of Commons

today. Parliament must

approve the plan before

the new measures take

effect.

Tougher curbs in England on anvil despite fall in casesAP — LONDON

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced plans for strict regional measures to combat COVID-19 after England’s lockdown ends on December 2, sparking a rebellion by members of his own party who say the move may do more harm than good.

Johnson’s office said late on Saturday that the government plans to return to a three-tiered system of restrictions, with areas facing different measures depending on the severity of their outbreaks.

Though it is likely that a much-criticised 10pm curfew on restaurants will be altered, the tiers are likely to include

tighter restrictions than when they were first used in October even as more communities are expected to be placed in the two highest virus alert categories.

Some of Johnson’s Conserv-ative Party allies immediately demanded an impact analysis of the proposed restrictions so lawmakers can weigh the health benefits against harm to the economy, mental health and relationships.

Steve Baker, one of 70 law-makers who have written to Johnson with their concerns, said they can’t support the approach unless the gov-ernment can show the restric-tions planned for after December 2 will have an effect

on decreasing COVID-19 trans-mission, “and will save more lives than they cost.” Johnson’s Cabinet was scheduled to work out details of the plan before the prime minister presents it to the House of Commons today (Monday). Parliament must approve the plan before the new measures take effect.

The debate comes as hope grows that vaccines may ulti-mately provide a way out of the pandemic, and public health officials say restrictions on social and business interactions across the UK have begun to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Johnson’s office confirmed plans to begin a nationwide vaccination programme next

month. The original three-tiered regional approach was introduced on October 12 as the government tried to control a surge in COVID-19 cases without resorting to a national lockdown.

Under those rules, the highest level of restrictions forced some facilities to close

and people were advised not to travel outside their commu-nities. The second tier barred people from meeting indoors with anyone from outside their household. Even at the lowest level, restaurants were forced to close at 10 pm and meetings of more than six people were prohibited.

Now Johnson plans to tighten those measures.

The government’s scientific advisory group, known as SAGE, is expected to publish reports today showing that the original three-tiered strategy wasn’t strong enough and recom-mending tougher restrictions when it returns.

The regional approach was suspended in November

when Johnson f inal ly imposed a lockdown in England. That decision came after public health officials warned that an exponential rise in new coronavirus infections was threatening to overwhelm the National Health Service as the winter flu season approached.

Confirmed new cases of COVID-19 have started to drop across the UK, with the number of positive tests during the past seven days falling 13.8% from the week before. Authorities reported 2,861 COVID-related deaths over the last seven-day period, 17 fewer than a week earlier. Still, the infection rate remains high, at 244 cases for every 100,000 people.

France to ease lockdownmeasures in three stagesREUTERS — PARIS

France will start easing coro-navirus lockdown rules in coming weeks, carrying out the process in three stages so as to avoid a new flareup in the pandemic, the government said yesterday.

President Emmanuel Macron will give a speech to the nation tomorrow (Tuesday) about the virus situation and may announce a partial relax-ation of restrictions which have been in place since October 30.

“Emmanuel Macron will give prospects over several weeks, especially on how we adjust our strategy. What is at stake is adapting lockdown rules as the health situation improves while avoiding a new flare up in the epidemic,” gov-ernment spokesman Gabriel Attal told Le Journal Du Dimanche.

“There will be three steps to

(lockdown) easing in view of the health situation and of risks tied to some businesses: a first step around December 1, then before the year-end holidays, and then from January 2021,” Attal added. Macron has said that France’s second national lockdown, which started on October 30, would last at least four weeks. Curbs include the closure of non-essential stores, and restaurants.

But with recent data showing France on track to rein in a surge in coronavirus infec-tions, the government is under pressure from shops and busi-nesses to ease restrictions in time for the Christmas shopping season, when many retailers make the bulk of their annual turnover.

“We had committed to allow them (shopkeepers) to reopen around December 1 if the health situation improved, which seems to be the case,”

Attal said. Restaurants however “will continue to experience restrictions,” he added.

On Thursday Health Min-ister Olivier Veran said France will win its battle against the

coronavirus but it is a struggle which will take time, warning the lockdown was not yet over.

The number of new coro-navirus infections in France rose by 17,881 on Saturday,

lower than the 22,882 reported on Friday while the number of people in hospital with COVID-19 dropped for the fifth day in a row and was down at 31,365.

French President Emmanuel Macron speaks to volunteers during a visit to the 2020 Phoneton, an annual fundraising operation organised by the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund’s French affiliate (Fonds Armenien de France), in Paris, yesterday.

Italy reports

28,337 new

infections,

562 deaths

REUTERS — ROME

Italy has registered 28,337 new coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours, the health ministry said yesterday, down from 34,767 the day before.

The ministry also reported 562 COVID 19-related deaths, down from 692 on Saturday and 699 on Friday.

There were 188,747 coro-navirus swabs carried out in the past day, the ministry said, against a previous 237,225.

Italy was the first Western country to be hit by the virus and has seen 49,823 COVID-19 fatalities since its outbreak emerged in February, the second highest toll in Europe after Britain’s. It has also reg-istered 1.409 million cases.

While Italy’s daily death tolls have been the highest in Europe over recent days, the increase in hospital admis-sions and intensive care occu-pancy has slowed.

The number of people in hospital with COVID-19 stood at 34,279 yesterday, a rise of 216 from the day before. That compared with a daily increase of 106 on Saturday.

The number of patients in intensive care rose by 43, fol-lowing an increase of just 10 on Saturday, and now stands at 3,801.

When Italy’s second wave of the epidemic was acceler-ating fast, until around a week ago, hospital admissions were rising by around 1,000 per day, while intensive care occu-pancy was increasing by about 100 per day.

The northern region of Lombardy, centred on Italy’s financial capital Milan, remained the hardest hit area yesterday, reporting 5,094 new cases.

The southern region of Campania, which has only about 60% of Lombardy’s pop-ulation, chalked up the second highest number of new cases, at 3,217.

Ancient flea market reopensin Madrid after 8 months AP — MADRID

Madrid’s ancient and emblematic Rastro flea market reopened yesterday after a contentious eight-month closure because of the COVID-19 pandemic that has walloped the Spanish capital.

With many major European flea markets still shut down, the Rastro’s return seems to be another example of Madrid’s bid to show that heavy corona-virus restrictions may not be necessary even among the latest surge of the virus and some sort of normality can resume with precautions.

That stance has been both criticised and lauded.

After lengthy negotiations, city authorities agreed the Rastro could open at 50% capacity, with half its 1,000 stalls alternating each Sunday for a maximum crowd of 2,700 people.

Police with backup drones monitored the market to avoid overcrowding.

Dating back to the 1700s,

the Rastro sells the usual flea market mix of antiques, clothes, furniture, bric-a-brac and curios in stalls that snake down through a warren-like district next to Madrid’s majestic Plaza Mayor square.

Long a traditional meeting place, the bustling Sunday morning market used to attract thousands of tourists and resi-dents alike. If you arrived after 11 am, it was almost impossible to move.

Even though not packed — with one-way pedestrian flows to prevent grouping — the Ras-tro’s reappearance is likely to be welcomed, another example of Madrid’s bid to keep things going.

Back at the start of the pan-demic, Madrid’s hospitals and morgues were saturated. That eased in May, but a second wave this summer put the region back in the spotlight as infections soared.

Nevertheless, conservative regional President Isabel Díaz Ayuso has consistently criticised t h e l e f t i s t n a t i o n a l

government’s attempts to curb the virus, constantly objecting to preventative measures being applied in the rest of Spain.

Díaz Ayuso insists dra-conian measures aren’t the answer and instead opts for lighter, more localised limita-tions, leaving restaurants open for most of the day and cinemas and theatres too, albeit with reduced capacity, compulsory masks and social distancing.

Although no one knows for sure why some regions’ figures go up or down, health data

these days appear to back Díaz Ayuso, leading some German newspapers last week to talk of the “Madrid miracle.” The region’s 14-day infection rate is below 300 per 100,000 inhab-itants — high still but below national and European averages and way down from the 500-plus figures Madrid was posting just weeks ago.

Some experts explain the drop by the fear factor that has made Madrid residents more cautious amid increasing media scrutiny.

People shop at El Rastro flea market, in Madrid, Spain, yesterday.

France finds

COVID-19 in mink

at one farm

REUTERS — PARIS

Mink infected with corona-virus have been found at a farm in the Eure-et-Loire region of western France, and 1,000 mink at the farm will be culled, the French agriculture ministry said yesterday.

Cases in mink have also been reported elsewhere in Europe, notably in Sweden, Greece and the Netherlands.

In Denmark, the virus was found to have mutated into a different strain, which experts feared could render a vaccine less effective if transmitted back to humans. Around 17 million mink are due to be culled there.

France started testing its four mink farms in mid-November. “At this stage, tests have shown the virus circu-lating in an Eure-et-Loire farm,” the ministry said. “A second farm is unscathed. Tests are still under way in the last two farms.”

German Greens aim for Merkel job with €500bn planBLOOMBERG

Germany’s Green party has opened its bid to run Europe’s biggest economy with a mani-festo that seeks to broaden its appeal among mainstream voters, while risking opposition from fiscal hawks and business leaders.

Underpinned by a ¤500bn ($593bn) green spending plan, delegates at a virtual party con-vention backed their leaders over the weekend in staking out a claim to succeed Chancellor Angela Merkel after next year’s election. Goals in the manifest approved yesterday include speeding up Germany’s tran-sition to a carbon-free nation, embedding it deeper in the European Union and expanding social services.

“For the first time, a third party will fight in earnest for the leadership of this country,” said Green co-chairman Robert

Habeck, 51, referring to the Social Democrats and Christian Democrats who have domi-nated German politics since World War II. “It’s a tall aspi-ration; a bold one, perhaps cheeky.”

The Greens have gained the most members among German parties in recent years and briefly surpassed Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union in the polls little more than a year ago in the wake of big climate protests. This year, the COVID-19 pandemic is exposing the party’s shortcomings: many Germans still view it as an inex-perienced, niche party that they wouldn’t trust to handle an eco-nomic crisis. Merkel has said she won’t run for a fifth term next year.

Support for Merkel’s CDU-led party bloc was 36% in the latest weekly Forsa poll, with the Greens at 18% and Merkel’s Social Democratic

coalition partner at 17%. The same poll showed that the Greens, Social Democrats and anti-capitalist Left party wouldn’t have enough support to form a majority government if elections were held now.

Habeck, who polls suggest is the most popular Green leader nationwide, pointed to the party’s achievements in state governments since their last spell in national power under former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder..

“With mild optimism, we’re working on solutions,” Habeck told delegates. “And for those solutions, we’ll fight to get to power.” Piggybacking on dis-content about inadequate child care and ill-equipped schools, Annalena Baerbock, who shares the party leadership with Habeck, called for a doubling of government spending on primary education. She also called for Germany and Europe

to do more to ensure their sov-ereignty on health, climate and security in the face of US and Chinese interests.

“As the largest single market in the world, we don’t need to choose between a capitalist digital system or an authori-tarian,” Baerbock, 39, said from a three-stage studio in Berlin that hosted the digital conference.

Many of the Greens’ ideas come with a hefty price tag. The party proposes investments of ¤500bn over a decade to help finance the transition to a more sustainable economy.

That would require easing constitutional rules that limit public debt. “Just like the Covid pandemic, the climate crisis represents an existential threat,” Sven-Christian Kindler, the party’s budget spokesman, said.

“That requires acting fast and big sums of money.”

France to punish

‘eco-cide’

offenders with

jail up to 10 years

AFP — PARIS

France will make serious intentional damage to the environment punishable by up to 10 years in prison as part of planned “eco-cide” law, government ministers said in remarks published yesterday.

The law was one recom-mendation from a Citizens’ Convention for the Climate, a group created by the gov-ernment a year ago, bringing together 150 people from the French population to discuss the environment.

An “eco-cide” offence would be sanctioned by up to ¤4.5m ($5.3m) in fines or up to 10 years in prison in cases of “intentional violation” of environmental laws, Justice Minister Eric Dupont-Moretti and Ecological Transition Min-ister Barbara Pompili told the JDD weekly.

“We are going to create a general pollution offence,” Dupont-Moretti said. “Pun-ishment will be staggered according to a perpetrator’s intentions.” The aim was to fine violators of environmental laws “up to 10 times the profit they would have generated by throwing waste into the river”, he said. The French consti-tution did not allow the qual-ification of such actions as “crimes”, just offences, Dupont-Moretti said.

France will also add an offence called “endangering the environment” to its statute books, Pompili said, under which potential offenders could be punished even before committing acts of illegal pol-lution. Environmental expertise within the French judiciary will be beefed up to allow courts to improve their handling of pollution cases and civil claims, including by cre-ating special environmental jurisdictions, Dupont-Moretti said. The citizens’ convention has submitted 149 proposals to cut greenhouse gas emis-sions to President Emmanuel Macron.

14 MONDAY 23 NOVEMBER 2020EUROPE / AMERICAS

Thousands take to the streetsin Minsk, many detainedAFP — MINSK

Tens of thousands of Belarus opposition protesters took to the streets yesterday, the latest large-scale rally against Pres-ident Alexandre Lukashenko’s contested re-election.

For more than three months Belarus has been gripped by historic weekly opposition rallies following Lukashenko’s reelection to a sixth term in August, which Western govern-ments have refused to recognise.

Tens of thousands of pro-testers marched through dif-ferent neighbourhoods in the capital Minsk yesterday, chanting “Long live Belarus” and waving red and white flags of the opposition.

Security forces deployed heavily around the city with armoured vehicles and water cannons before the rally.

Around 70 demonstrators

were arrested by the police, according to the Viasna centre for the defence of human rights.

“I can’t accept what is going on at the moment,” one pro-tester, 22-year-old computer scientist Olga Matchits told AFP.

“I feel like vomiting when I think of the people in power in the country and of the values they are defending.” “They want to drag our dignity into the mud,” said another protester, 72-year-old Alexandre Ignatov. “It’s for my dignity, for the future of my children that I have turned out to demonstrate,” he added.

Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who has claimed victory in the election and is now in exile in Lithuania, called yesterday’s protest a step towards a “free and fair Belarus” in a message of support for protesters posted on Saturday.

“We cannot turn the country

into a prison if nobody is afraid of the jailers,” she said.

Before the demonstration, a dozen metro stations were closed and the mobile network was experiencing cuts, according to an AFP journalist.

About 5,000 people had gathered in the Belarus capital on Friday for the funeral of an opposition activist who died of brain trauma after being arrested by police.

Roman Bondarenko, a 31-year-old soldier, died in Minsk after police arrested him following a dispute in a city

square that has become a regular meeting place for the opposition.

Belarus opposition are calling for the resignation of Lukashenko, who was re-elected despite accusations of

massive fraud.Since the start of the protest,

thousands of people have been arrested, at least four have died and dozens of others have denounced torture and violence during their detention.

Supported by Moscow, Lukashenko, 66, has been in power since 1994 and refuses to leave his post. He has only mentioned vague constitutional reforms in an attempt to calm the protest.

Belarusian opposition supporters attend a rally to reject the presidential election results in Minsk, yesterday. Around 70 demonstrators were arrested by the police.

Protesters torch Guatemala Congress building amid unrestAP — GUATEMALA CITY

Hundreds of protesters broke into Guate-mala’s Congress and burned part of the building on Saturday amid growing demonstrations against President Alejandro Giammattei and the legislature for approving a controversial budget that cut educational and health spending.

The incident came as about 10,000 people were protesting in front of the National Palace in Guatemala City against corruption and the budget, which protesters say was negotiated and passed by legislators in secret while the Central American country was distracted by the fallout of back-to-back hurricanes and the COVID-19 pandemic.

About 1,000 protesters were dem-onstrating outside the Congress building.

Video on social media showed flames shooting out a window in the legislative building. Police fired tear gas at protestors, and about a dozen people were reported injured.

“We are outraged by poverty, injustice, the way they have stolen the public’s money,” said psychology pro-fessor Rosa de Chavarría.

“I feel like the future is being stolen from us. We don’t see any changes, this cannot continue like this,” said Mauricio Ramírez, a 20-year-old university student.

The amount of damage to the

building was unclear, but the flames ini-tially appear to have affected legislative offices, rather than the main hall of con-gress. Protesters also set some bus sta-tions on fire.

Giammattei condemned the fires through his Twitter account on Saturday. “Anyone who is proven to have partic-ipated in the criminal acts will be pun-ished with the full force of the law.” He wrote that he defended people’s right to

protest, “but neither can we allow people to vandalise public or private property.” The president said he had been meeting with various groups to present changes to the controversial budget.

Discontent had been building over the 2021 budget on social media and clashes erupted during demonstrations on Friday. Guatemalans were angered because lawmakers approved $65,000 to pay for meals for themselves, but cut

funding for coronavirus patients and human rights agencies, among other things. Protesters were also upset by recent moves by the Supreme Court and Attorney General they saw as attempts to undermine the fight against corruption.

Vice-President Guillermo Castillo has offered to resign, telling Giammattei that both men should resign their positions “for the good of the country.” He also suggested vetoing the approved budget, firing government officials and attempting more outreach to various sectors around the country.

Giammattei had not responded pub-licly to that proposal and Castillo did not share the president’s reaction to his pro-posal. Castillo said he would not resign alone. The spending plan was negotiated in secret and approved by the congress before dawn on Wednesday. It also passed while the country was distracted by the fallout of hurricanes Eta and Iota, which brought torrential rains to much of Central America.

“It was a devious blow to the people because Guatemala was between natural disasters, there are signs of government corruption, clientelism in the humani-tarian aid,” said Jordan Rodas, the coun-try’s human rights prosecutor.

He said the budget appeared to favour ministries that have historically been hotspots of corruption.

Belgian policeman who shot migrant toddler faces trial today AFP — BRUSSELS

Belgium’s approach to policing undocumented migration will be in the dock today (Monday) when an officer goes on trial over the shooting death of a two-year-old Kurdish girl.

Mawda was fatally wounded in May 2018 when a policeman opened fire on a van being driven across Belgium by traffickers taking migrants from the continent to Britain.

The officer said he had intended to shoot out a tyre to halt the suspect vehicle during a high speed chase, but his car swerved violently and the bullet went astray.

The tragedy caused a scandal in Belgium and, for

rights activists, became a symbol of the dangers posed by the “criminalisation” of irregular migration.

The officer who fired the fatal shot, reportedly a 40-something father-of-two with eight years experience in the police, has not been pub-licly named.

But he faces an involuntary homicide charge and will appear in court in the city of Mons alongside two Iraqi Kurds, the driver of the van and the alleged people smuggler.

The officer does not deny he drew and fired his gun to halt the fleeing vehicle, but insists he did not know migrants were on board.

He says he felt “wiped out”

when he discovered little Mawda had received a fatal head wound, crouched with her parents behind the driver.

“It’s a horror to carry the image of someone responsible for the death of a child,” his lawyer Laurent Kennes told AFP.

“He feels that everything has fallen on him, that he has to carry the errors of the state prosecutors, of migration policy.” Mawda’s parents, who left Iraq in 2015 and had intended to head to Britain, settled in Belgium after her death, granted leave to remain on humanitarian grounds.

They will be represented at the two-day hearing by three lawyers and backed by a citizen

activist group that has mobi-lised international celebrity support.

Roger Waters, of rock group Pink Floyd, has urged Belgians to attend the hearing and make a fuss: “Do not let them sweep the death of this child under a rug.” In a video message, British filmmaker Ken Loach demanded “what circumstances justify shooting into a van full of people?” Rights activists in Belgium argue that such awful deaths are made more likely by what they see as the “dehuman-isation” of refugees and the “criminalisation” of migration.

Police tactics and the coop-eration between French and Belgian services will also be in question.

On the night of May 16 to 17, 2018 when the migrants’ van set off from Grande-Synthe in northern France, French inves-tigators had placed a GPS tracker on board.

But the Belgian police did not know it was already under surveillance when they tried to intercept the traffickers on a motorway south of Brussels.

The hearing at the court in Mons, southern Belgium, will last two days, after which the court will retire to consider its verdict.

The police officer could face five years in jail for involuntary homicide. The Kurdish defendants are charged with dangerous driving, aggravated by a death.

Demonstrators set on fire a bus stop during a protest demanding the resignation of Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei, in Guatemala City on Saturday.

Anti-govt protest in BogotaA man waves a Colombian flag during an anti-government protest in Bogota, Colombia, on Saturday. Dozens of protesters gathered on the streets of downtown Bogota to commemorate one year of the massive protests against the government of President Ivan Duque.

Putin says ready

to work with any

US leader REUTERS — MOSCOW

Russian President Vladimir Putin said yesterday he was ready to work with any US leader and would congratulate whoever emerges the winner of the US presidential election once all the legal formalities are settled, Russian news agencies reported.

President Donald Trump has been taking legal action to try to overturn his November 3 election defeat to Demo-cratic President-elect Joe Biden. “We will work with anyone who has the trust of the American people,” Putin was quoted as saying on state television. But the winner must be named either by the opposing party, which should acknowledge the victory of their opponents, or after the final results of the election are confirmed in a legitimate, legal way, Putin said.

Kremlin had earlier said it would wait for the official results of the US presidential election before commenting on its outcome.

Mexico President urges G20to avoid bailouts in pandemicREUTERS — MEXICO CITY

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Saturday urged fellow leaders from the 20 biggest world economies (G20) to steer clear of debt and bailouts in the efforts to handle the COVID-19 crisis that has caused a global recession.

From the start of the pan-demic, which has claimed at least 100,000 lives in Mexico, the government has eschewed taking on debt to fund bailouts for businesses or cash pay-ments for workers — a different approach from many other nations that have sought to cushion the economic blow.

Within G20, Mexico is the country with the least fiscal support spending as a per-centage of gross domestic

product. “Economic recovery must happen from the bottom up. First help the poor, and don’t focus government actions just on granting public funds to companies or financial institu-tions in bankruptcy,” Lopez Obrador told the G20 summit, which is being held virtually.

“Avoid taking on debt and even less so if it’s for the benefit of a few, at the cost of the suf-fering of many,” he said.

Mexico’s economy is forecast to shrink almost 10% in 2020, its deepest annual contraction since the Great Depression. Lopez Obrador also called on countries to avoid “authoritative measures” such as confinement and curfews, and to have more trust in people to act responsibly in curbing the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Rights groups denounce Cuba harassment of activist groupREUTERS — HAVANA

A number of international human rights organisations, including Amnesty Interna-tional, have denounced Cuban state harassment of a group of activists in Havana who say they have gone on hunger strike in protest against curbs on free speech.

The San Isidro Movement, a group of artists, journalists and academics, has had numerous run-ins with Com-munist authorities in recent years as it tests and protests limits on freedom of speech in the one party state.

Members and allies say they have been detained mul-tiple times for peacefully pro-testing the arrest last week of rapper Denis Solis and his sen-tencing to eight months in prison for what authorities said was “contempt.” Solis accused a police officer of trespassing in his home, calling the officer a “coward” in a verbal confrontation he lives-treamed on Facebook, and insulted Cuban President Raoul Castro. Six activists say they started a hunger strike last week after authorities besieged their headquarters. Reuters was unable to inde-pendently verify the claims.

At least two police cars and more than a dozen officials were blocking access to the Movimiento San Isidro office. A man who identified himself as Jorge Gomez and said he worked for public health authorities said access was restricted due to a coronavirus outbreak.

Belarus opposition are calling for the resignation of Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994.

15MONDAY 23 NOVEMBER 2020 AMERICAS

Biden could also announce his

selection for Secretary of State

as soon as this week, with

former national security adviser

Susan Rice and veteran

diplomat Antony Blinken seen

as among the candidates.

Biden to name first Cabinet picks tomorrowREUTERS — WASHINGTON

US President-elect Joe Biden will announce the first of his Cabinet appointments tomorrow (Tuesday) and is planning for a scaled-down inaugu-ration due to the coronavirus pandemic, aides said yesterday, as he lays the foundation for his new admin-istration despite President Donald Trump’s refusal to concede.

Since Biden, a Democrat, was declared the winner of the November 3 election two weeks ago, the Repub-lican president has launched a barrage of lawsuits and mounted a pressure campaign to prevent state officials from certifying their vote totals.

Ron Klain, Biden’s choice as White House chief of staff, again urged that the Trump administration — specifi-cally a federal agency called the General Services Administration (GSA) — formally recognise Biden’s victory to unlock resources for the transition process.

“I hope that the administrator of the GSA will do her job,” Klain added, referring to GSA chief Emily Murphy.

Biden is due to take office on January 20.

“A record number of Americans rejected the Trump presidency, and since then Donald Trump’s been rejecting democracy,” Klain told ABC’s “This Week” programme.

Biden, working in his home state

of Delaware, has announced a series of selections for White House posts. Klain said that “you’re going to see the first Cabinet picks this Tuesday,” but declined to reveal the choices or the posts to be filled.

Biden said on Thursday he had chosen a treasury secretary. Candi-dates on Biden’s short list include former Fed Chair Janet Yellen, current Fed Governor Lael Brainard, Sarah Bloom Raskin, a former Fed governor, and Raphael Bostic, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.

Biden allies also indicated he could announce his selection for secretary of state as soon as this week, with former national security adviser Susan Rice and veteran diplomat Antony Blinken seen as among the candidates.

Klain said there will be “scaled-down versions of the existing tradi-tions” for Biden’s inauguration. Inau-guration ceremonies and related events

typically draw huge crowds to Wash-ington. COVID-19 cases and deaths are surging in many parts of the country amid a pandemic that has killed about 256,000 Americans.

“We know people want to cele-brate. There is something here to cel-ebrate,” Klain said. “We just want to try to find a way to do it as safely as possible.” Critics of Trump, including Democrats and some Republicans, have accused him of trying to undermine faith in the American elec-toral system and delegitimise Biden’s victory by promoting false claims of widespread voter fraud.

“Fight hard Republicans,” Trump wrote on Twitter on Sunday morning as he pressed his unsubstantiated nar-rative of voter fraud.

Some of Trump’s fellow Repub-licans in Congress are now breaking ranks though many, including the most senior ones, have not.

“We’re beginning to look like a banana republic,” Maryland’s Repub-lican Governor Larry Hogan told CNN’s “State of the Union” programme, crit-icising the refusal of many in his own party to acknowledge Trump’s defeat. “Frankly I’m embarrassed that more people in the party aren’t speaking up.”

Republican Senator Kevin Cramer told NBC’s “Meet the Press” programme yesterday that the start of the presi-dential transition process is overdue, though he declined to recognise Biden’s

victory. “I hope they would start to accept the reality,” Klain said of Repub-lican leaders.

Critics have said Trump’s refusal to facilitate an orderly transition carries serious implications for national security and the fight against COVID-19.

Jen Psaki, a senior advisor to Biden’s transition team, said on CNN’s “State of the Union” that legal action

to compel the GSA to recognise Biden “isn’t our preference.” Klain said Biden is being denied intelligence briefings to which he is entitled, background checks on potential Cabinet nominees, and access to agency officials to help develop plans including avoiding delays in COVID-19 vaccine rollout.

“The question is: how can we get 100% of Americans a vaccine in short order?” Klain said.

Judge dismisses Trump campaign’s Pennsylvania lawsuitAFP — WASHINGTON

A Pennsylvania judge on Saturday threw out Donald Trump’s claims of widespread electoral fraud there, dealing a new blow to the Republican’s bid to overturn his loss in the US presidential election.

The decision — announced in a scathing judgment which excoriated the Trump team’s legal strategy — paves the way for Pennsylvania to certify Democrat Joe Biden’s victory there, which is scheduled to take place today (Monday).

With the clock ticking down to Biden’s January 20 inaugu-ration, Trump’s team has focused on trying to stop bat-tleground states from certifying election results, in addition to his numerous legal challenges that have so far failed.

Judge Matthew Brann wrote in his ruling that Trump’s team had presented “strained legal arguments without merit and speculative accusations” in their

complaints about mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania.

“In the United States of America, this cannot justify the disenfranchisement of a single voter, let alone all the voters of its sixth most populated state,” Brann wrote.

“Our people, laws, and insti-tutions demand more.” Biden won the state-by-state Electoral College votes that ultimately decide who takes the White House by 306 to 232.

The Electoral College is due to formally vote on December 14, with certifications to take place beforehand.

States’ certification of results of their popular votes is usually routine following a US presidential election.

But Trump’s refusal to concede has complicated the process and drawn concerns that he could cause long-term damage to Americans’ trust in their voting system.

Only a limited number of Republicans have so far

recognised Biden as the winner and called on Trump to concede.

The Pennsylvania court ruling prompted a Republican senator from the state, Pat Toomey, to join those ranks, saying Biden “won the 2020 election and will become the 46th president of the United States.” “President Trump

should accept the outcome of the election and facilitate the presidential transition process,” Toomey said in a statement that congratulated Biden while specifying he voted for Trump.

The judgement in Pennsyl-vania came hours after Repub-licans also requested a delay in certification in Michigan, another battleground, in a letter

that repeated allegations of irregularities in the state which Biden won by 155,000 votes.

They asked for a delay of two weeks to allow for a full audit of results in Wayne County, the state’s largest and where majority-black Detroit is located, which was won over-whelmingly by Biden.

Michigan’s board of can-vassers, which includes two Democrats and two Repub-licans, is also due to meet today to certify the results.

Republican Party national committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel and the party’s Michigan chair Laura Cox called on the board to “adjourn for 14 days to allow for a full audit and investigation into those anom-alies and irregularities.”

Michigan’s Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has said that audits cannot be conducted until after certification because officials do not have legal access to the documents needed until then.

Supporters of US President Donald Trump wave flags as his vehicle enters the Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, yesterday.

US to begin COVID-19 vaccine campaign by year endAFP — WASHINGTON

The United States hopes to begin a sweeping programme of COVID-19 vaccinations, reaching perhaps 20 million people by year’s end, top public health officials said yesterday as cases surge across the worst-hit nation.

The beginning of vaccina-tions could be a crucial turning point in the battle against the virus that has claimed more than 255,000 lives in the US, the world’s highest reported toll, since emerging from China late last year.

“Our plan is to be able to ship vaccines to the immuni-zation sites within 24 hours of approval” by the US Food and

Drug Administration, Moncef Slaoui, who heads the govern-ment’s coronavirus vaccine effort, told CNN.

He pointed to possible dates of December 11-12.

Slaoui estimated that 30 million people would be vacci-nated per month starting in January.

But top US infectious disease official Dr. Anthony Fauci, who said “maybe 20 million people will be able to get vaccinated by the middle to the end December”, warned the situation could get worse before getting better if people fail to take precautions in the coming holiday season.

“We’re in a very difficult sit-uation at all levels,” he told

CBS’s “Face the Nation.” With the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday normally seeing a huge surge in travel, he said, “We’re really concerned” about “another spike in cases as we get colder and colder and colder into the December month — and then you start dealing with the Christmas holiday.”

FDA vaccine advisers are to meet on December 10 to discuss approving vaccines which pharmaceutical firms Pfizer and Moderna say are at least 95 percent effective.

Slaoui said that by May, with potentially 70 percent of the population having been vaccinated, the country could attain “herd immunity,” meaning the virus can no longer

spread widely and people can move closer to resuming their pre-coronavirus way of life.

But Fauci, separately, added a note of caution, saying herd immunity would come only if “you get an overwhelming majority of the people vacci-nated with a highly efficacious vaccine.” A recent Gallup poll showed that four in 10 Amer-icans still say they would not get a COVID-19 vaccine, though that is down from five in 10 sur-veyed in September.

Officials have yet to announce which groups in the population would receive the vaccine first, though health care workers are certain to receive priority, followed by vulnerable groups like the elderly.

A general view of boarded-up shops along 5th Avenue in the Gaslamp Quarter before the start of a curfew in San Diego, California, on Saturday.

Infection cases in Californiaclimb; evening curfew beginsBLOOMBERG

California added 15,442 new coronavirus cases, hitting a high as the state’s evening curfew kicked in on Saturday night.

The cases topped Friday’s record of 13,005 infections, bringing the total to almost 1.1 million. The number of deaths increased by 86 to 18,643, state data showed. The increased patient load left California’s hos-pitals with just 1,921 intensive-care unit beds available, near the low in July.

A 10 pm-to-5 am curfew will be imposed in most counties for a month to ease the rate of infection, affecting areas that encompass 37 million people, or 94% of the population.

Only 10 countries globally have more cases than California,

where the number of infections now exceeds those in Mexico and Germany, which have been hot spots for the pandemic.

Governor Gavin Newsom said earlier in the week that the curfew will stop nonessential work and gatherings to “flatten the curve again,” reflecting growing alarm among state offi-cials as the third wave of coro-navirus infections to hit the state gathers momentum.

Infections across the US have surpassed 12 million, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended against all travel on cruise ships, citing the high risk of infection.

The impact on businesses will be limited. Restaurants will need to close outdoor dining by 10 pm, but they can continue offering takeout afterward.

US exits ‘Open Skies’ defence treaty

AFP — WASHINGTON

The US said it formally left the Open Skies defense treaty yesterday, one of several international agreements Washington has exited under President Donald Trump.

Open Skies was agreed just after the Cold War to allow signatories to avoid nasty surprises or unfounded suspicions by monitoring rival militaries.

But Trump said in May that Moscow had not stuck to its commitments under the pact, which was designed to improve confidence between the superpowers.

“The US withdrawal took effect on November 22, 2020, and the United States is no longer a State Party to the Treaty on Open Skies,” the US State Department said in a statement yesterday.

The treaty was signed in 1992 and came into force in 2002, allowing 35 signatory countries, including the United States and Russia, to fly unarmed surveillance flights over each other’s territory.

Moscow and Washington had often accused each other of breaching its terms, and in May the Trump adminis-tration said it gave the required six-month notice to leave the treaty.

The United States under Trump has also pulled out of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal as well as the Paris accord against climate change.

President-elect Joe Biden, who assumes the Oval Office in January, has vowed that the US would rejoin on his first day in the White House.

Trump defends

withdrawal from

‘unfair’ Paris

climate accord

AFP — RIYADH

US President Trump yesterday defended his decision to pull out of the Paris climate accord, calling it “unfair and one-sided” even as President-elect Joe Biden has pledged to rejoin the landmark agreement.

The United States formally left the 2015 Paris accord earlier this month, becoming the first country to ever withdraw from an interna-tional climate change pact.

“I withdrew the United States from the unfair and one-sided Paris Climate accord, a very unfair act for the United States,” Trump said on the sidelines of a virtual G20 summit. “The Paris accord was not designed to save the environment. It was designed to kill the American economy.

“I refuse to surrender mil-lions of American jobs and send trillions of American dollars to the world’s worst polluters and environmental offenders, and that’s what would have happened.” Trump has aggressively championed the fossil fuel industry, ques-tioned the science of climate change and weakened other environmental protections.

Trump, who has refused to concede the bitter US election, had given a one-year notice to leave the Paris accord on November 4, 2019.

Biden has vowed that the US would rejoin the Paris climate accord on his first day in the White House in January, a move welcomed by European leaders.

US President-elect Joe Biden speaks to reporters as Vice President-elect Kamala Harris listens in Wilmington, Delaware, on November 19, 2020.

Children's Day artwork

16MONDAY 23 NOVEMBER 2020

World’s deepest diving pool opens in PolandAFP — MSZCZONOW, POLAND

A 45.5-metre (150-foot) deep diving pool with artificial underwater caves and Mayan ruins, the world’s deepest such structure, opened near Warsaw this weekend.

The complex, named Deepspot, even includes a small wreck for scuba and free divers to explore. It has 8,000 cubic metres of water — more than 20 times the amount in an ordinary 25-metre pool.

Unlike regular swimming pools, Deepspot can open despite coronavirus restrictions in Poland because it is a training centre that offers courses.

A hotel with rooms from which guests will be able to watch divers at a depth of five metres is also planned. “It’s the world’s deepest pool,” Deepspot director Michal Braszczynski, a 47-year-old diving enthusiast, said at the opening on Saturday.

The current holder of the Guinness world record is in

Montegrotto Terme in Italy and is 42 metres deep. The Blue

Abyss pool planned to open in Britain in 2021 will be 50 metres

deep. Around a dozen cus-tomers came on the first day,

including eight seasoned divers who hoped to pass an exam to become instructors.

“There are no magnificent fish or coral reefs here so it is no substitute for the sea but it is definitely a good place to learn and to train in order to dive safely in open water,” said Przemyslaw Kacprzak, a 39-year-old diving instructor.

“And it’s fun! It’s like a kin-dergarten for divers!” Jerzy Nowacki, a 30-year-old for-estry officer and diving novice, said: “For my first time, we went down five metres but you can see all the way to the bottom — the wreck, the caves —it’s mag-nificent!” Braszczynski said the pool “will also be used by the fire brigade and the army.

There are many scenarios for training and we can also test dif-ferent equipment”.Some 5,000 cubic metres of concrete were used over the two years it took to build the pool and it cost around 40m zloty (¤8.9m, $10.6m).

An aerial view shows an artwork entitled ‘6,000 Children’ by local art collective ‘Sand In Your Eye’, in Hebden Bridge, northern England, yesterday. The artwork, supported by Unicef, was created over the course of three days by a team of six artists, to highlight International Children’s Day and raise awareness that up to 6,000 children are at risk of dying daily, worldwide, as an indirect cause of the coronavirus pandemic.

A diver is seen in the deepest pool in the world with 45.5-metre (150-foot) located in Mszczonow about 50km from Warsaw, yesterday. The complex, named Deepspot, even includes a small wreck for scuba and free divers to explore. It has 8,000 cubic metres of water — more than 20 times the amount in an ordinary 25-metre pool.

Visually impaired mancompletes solo 5kmrun with trial appREUTERS — NEW YORK

A blind man completed a 5km (3.1-mile) run in New York’s Central Park without a guide dog or human help this week. His navigation aid? Artificial intelligence through head-phones plugged into a smartphone.

“The safest thing for a blind man is to sit still. I ain’t sitting still,” said Thomas Panek, 50, who lost his vision in his early 20s due to a genetic condition and runs Guiding Eyes for the Blind, a guide dog school.

The marathon enthusiast got tired of having to follow slower runners as a guide. So he decided a year ago to find a way to run solo. He turned to Google to find a way for a phone to “tell me where to go,” said Panek, who believes “humans are born to run.”

He worked with the Alphabet Inc unit to create a research program. A smartphone camera picks up a painted ‘guideline’ on a running track. An app detects the runner’s position and gives audio guidance through an earpiece.

“It’s like teaching a kid how to learn where the line is,” said Google researcher Xuan Yang. Pandemic-related social dis-tancing gave a boost to the research to cir-cumvent human and canine helpers.

“To be able to be here, it’s real emo-tional,” Panek said after his test of the app on a chilly fall afternoon, in an event spon-sored by Google and the New York Road Runners Club on Thursday. “It’s a real feeling of not only freedom and inde-pendence, but also, you know, you get that sense that you’re just like anybody else.”

Google launches AI platform to help cities plant more treesIANS — SAN FRANCISCO

As policy makers aim to plant more trees to increase shade on warming city streets globally, Google has launched Tree Canopy Lab that combines Artificial Intelligence (AI) and aerial imagery.

The platform will help cities see their current tree canopy cov-erage and plan future tree planting projects, starting with Los Angeles.

“Trees are increasingly seen as a solution to both lowering street-level temperatures while improving quality of life. Yet many cities may not have the budget or resources to locate where every tree in town is, or where new tree-planting efforts are most needed,” Google said in a statement.

“With the Tree Canopy Lab, you can see Los Angeles’s trees with local context, like what percentage of a neigh-bourhood has leafy cover, an area’s population density, what areas are vulnerable to extreme heat, and which neigh-bourhood councils can help get new roots in the ground,” the company informed.

Tree Canopy lab is part of the Environmental Insights Explorer platform, a tool that makes it easier for cities to measure, plan and reduce carbon emissions and pollution.

“With aerial imagery collected from planes during the spring, summer and fall seasons, as well as Google AI and Google Earth Engine’s data analysis capabilities, we can now pinpoint all the trees in a city and measure their density,” Google said.

Google uses a specialized tree-detection AI that automatically scans the images, detects the presence of trees and then produces a map that shows the density of tree cover, also known as “tree canopy.”

The lab can help anyone identify residential blocks with high tree planting potential and locate sidewalks that are vulnerable to higher temperatures due to low canopy coverage.

“With Tree Canopy Lab we’ve found that more than 50 per cent of Angelenos live in areas with less than 10 per cent tree canopy coverage and 44 per cent of Angelenos live in areas with extreme heat risk,” Google said.

The Tree Canopy Lab will be available to hundreds of more cities in the year to come, the company said.

Taiwan actress

wins big at

Chinese ‘Oscars’

REUTERS — TAIPEI

A veteran actress and a romantic comedy stole the limelight at this year’s Golden Horse Awards, the Chinese-speaking world’s version of the Oscars, in Taiwan on Saturday, with China largely absent for a second year following a dispute over politics.

“My Missing Valentine”, a Taiwanese movie about a post office worker who wakes up to discover Valentine’s Day has passed without her knowing, won five awards, including best film and best director.

But it was veteran Taiwan actress Chen Shu-fang, 81 and in the business for more than six decades, who got possibly the warmest reception.

She won for two different films, getting the best sup-porting actress for “Dear Tenant” and best leading actress for “Little Big Women”, both complex family dramas.

Not only had she never won before, she had never been nominated for the prize previously. “Even if I can no longer walk, I want the director to write a wheelchair role for me,” Chen said.

Politics was not entirely absent, with Jill Li’s “Lost Course”, about the Chinese “democracy village” of Wukan which rose up against cor-ruption, taking the award for best documentary, a prize unlikely to further endear China to the event.

China’s film regulator last year blocked the country’s movie industry from partici-pating in the Taiwan-hosted awards, which were founded in 1962 and take place every year. This move came after the event caused uproar in 2018 in China and amongst Chinese stars at the ceremony when Taiwanese director Fu Yue made comments in support of Taiwan’s formal inde-pendence. China considers democratic Taiwan its own territory and routinely denounces any moves Beijing views as suggesting the island is separate from China or not part of its territory.

Ajyal a vital arts and culture incubator, says DFI CEORAYNALD C RIVERA THE PENINSULA

Chief Executive Officer of Doha Film Institute (DFI) and Ajyal Festival Director, Fatma Hassan Alremaihi has stressed how Ajyal Film Festival plays an important role as an arts and culture incubator.

Responding to a question at a press briefing yesterday for the eighth edition of the festival, Alremaihi said Ajyal’s success can be measured by its role in incubating arts and culture through the years.

“I look at Ajyal as an incubator for arts and culture and a new way to understand filmmaking,” said Alremihi, pointing out a number of signature Ajyal features that have made a mark in the festival such as Geekdom, Ajyal Tunes and the multidisciplinary exhibition.

She said one of the successes the festival has witnessed is how it “has shifted the way people see films from purely entertainment to something educational and cultural and essential in life.”

On this year’s virtual jury expe-rience, she observed: “There are magical moments online between the jurors and the international guests they were talking to. The young jurors are

so smart, and every guest mentions how pleasantly surprised they are with their questions and level of intelligence.”

Asked on which among the ele-ments of the first hybrid edition of Ajyal is likely to be a regular feature of the

festival, she said: “I feel that the drive-in cinema will be something that we will see in the future. It has been very successful with the audience and it’s something that we have to consider for the festival every year.”

She expressed pride on the resil-ience of the Institute amid the many challenges of organising the festival during the pandemic exerting all efforts needed to deliver a safe festival both online and in-person activities. She thanked all the entities that supported DFI to make the festival a reality despite COVID-19.

On the question about the chal-lenges that women filmmakers in the region still face, she commented that fortunately it is the complete opposite for women filmmakers in Qatar who comprise the majority of local filmmakers.

“Sixty percent of our filmmakers in Qatar are women, higher than Europe or the US and this is some-thing that we’re really proud of,” she said.

Alremaihi emphasized that they choose films and grantees not based on “who’s behind the camera, but we look at the authenticity of story,” adding that this has created a more inclusive environment and encouraged more women to make more films.

CEO of Doha Film Institute (DFI) and Director of Ajyal Festival, Fatma Hassan Alremaihi.

Nasa rover helps find signs of floods on MarsIANS — NEW YORK

Analysing data collected by Nasa’s Curiosity rover, scien-tists have found that floods of unimaginable magnitude once washed through Gale Crater on Mars’ equator around four billion years ago.

The finding, published in the journal Scientific Reports, hints at the possibility that life may have existed on the Red

Planet. The raging megaflood — likely touched off by the heat of a meteoritic impact, which unleashed ice stored on the Martian surface— set up gigantic ripples that are tell-tale geologic structures familiar to scientists on Earth.

“We identified megafloods for the first time using detailed sedimentological data observed by the rover Curiosity,” said co-author Alberto Fairen, a visiting

astrobiologist at Cornell Uni-versity, Ithaca, New York.

“Deposits left behind by megafloods had not been pre-viously identified with orbiter data.” As is the case on Earth, geological features, including the work of water and wind have been frozen in time on Mars for about four billion years. These features convey processes that shaped the surface of both planets in the past.

W ALRUWAIS : 23o → 27o W ALKHOR : 23o → 26o W DUKHAN : 20o → 26o W WAKRAH : 18o → 30o W MESAIEED : 18o → 30o W ABUSAMRA : 15o → 28o

Moderate temperature daytime with

some clouds at times.

Minimum Maximum22oC 28oC

WEATHER TODAY

LOW TIDE 03:49 – 19:51

HIGH TIDE 11:11 – 00:00

PRAYER TIMINGSPPPPRAYRRRAAAYARA MMMMIINNNNNNNNNGGGGGGMMMMMMMMMIIINNNNNNGGGGNNNNGGGIINNNNGNNNNNNNNN

PRAYERTIMINGS

FAJRSUNRISE

04.35 am 05.56 am

DHUHR 11.20 am

ISHA 06.16 pmMAGHRIBASR 02.23 pm

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